Emerald and Argent
by Unruly Marmite
Summary: Sarah Potter is the Girl-Who-Lived. Her life would never be normal, so a dimension travelling ex-Dark Lord version of herself wanting to help in her quest to stay alive? Par for the course, really.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 **I am not old, rich or female enough to be J.K. Rowling, therefore Harry Potter does not belong to me.**

 **16/07/2015- I've made some changes to try to break up the two massive paragraphs. They are still large, but I can't see any place where any more breaks are suitable.**

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Sarah Potter, by her own admission, was not normal. For a start, she was magical, which put her into the 'not normal' bracket for most of the world, but kept her at the 'normal' point for the Wizarding World. But then, of course, there was the fact that she had almost died in all four years of her attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even less normal, but possibly not unique. The thing that really, truly made her unique was the event that had occurred when she was barely a year old: when the Dark Wizard Voldemort had killed her parents before casting the supposedly unblockable Killing Curse at her, only for it to bounce back and destroy him. That earned her fame, and the unwanted title of The-Girl-Who-Lived. Personally, Sarah preferred to be thought of as She-Who-Could-Not-Be-Slayed. Wordy, yes, but also confusing to the sarcasm and common sense devoid wizarding peoples and mocking to Voldemort. A double advantage. The amusement, however, was currently being rendered pointless by the slow burn of anger deep in her stomach. Sarah was, generally, somewhat volatile. She had a naturally short fuse, and coupled with the general stupidity of almost everyone she met it left her nearly always on the knife edge of rage. It didn't help that for all of this summer, after seeing Voldemort rise from the dead and almost murder her, she was stuck in this house with her idiot relatives, hearing nothing from her friends. Her only source of information was the Wizarding daily paper, for God's sake, and that was filled with articles taking snide jabs at her sanity. Obviously the Ministry of Magic was denying Voldemort's return.

Morons.

Seeking to quash her rage before she did something stupid, Sarah carefully flicked a strand of flame-red hair from her eyes, her fingers briefly lingering over the lightning bolt shaped scar that was the memento of her first encounter with the Dark Lord. Sarah was currently lying flat on her back, hidden behind a large hydrangea bush just below the window to her relatives' living room, in the hope of hearing something on the news. She would have listened to the news in the house, but her walrus-like Uncle, Vernon, disapproved. Much as he disapproved of her in general, really, since he considered magic to be 'abnormal' and its practitioners 'freaks'. He had never heard of tolerance, apparently. Unfortunately, there was nothing of interest on the news, even when compared to the drivel in the _Daily Prophet,_ and hearing her piggish uncle sound _proud_ that his obese son didn't know who the current Prime Minister was turned her stomach. Then again, Dudley was about as smart as a Fruit Pastille- him being able to count to ten was probably an achievement. Unfortunately, there was nothing of interest to be heard on the news. Hell, when water-skating budgerigars made the news it was clearly a slow day.

Sarah let out an aggravated sigh and lay flat, trying to stay out of the heat. She was just adjusting her tattered hand-me-down clothes, Dudleys' in fact- particularly worrying given the gender and size differences- when a sharp crack echoed through the hot, dry air. Instinct took over and Sarah surged to her feet, fingers reaching for the wand tucked into the back of her trousers, but another sharp crack sounded as her head met the windowsill. The Girl Saviour promptly fell down again, clutching at her skull with a muffled groan of pain.

'Real smooth, Potter!' snarled the back of her mind, in a voice that was uncannily similar to the always unpleasant Potions Professor of her school, Severus Snape. Not pausing to ponder that mildly disturbing fact, Sarah struggled back to her feet, realising that the crack had not been followed by torrents of magic and destruction. Oh good. Less welcome, however, was the first thing she saw when she turned around- the unpleasant, distinctly purple face of her Uncle, Vernon Dursley.

"Girl!" barked the man, a vein pulsing in his forehead.

"Yes?" Sarah responded, doing her best to stay calm- a difficult feat, considering her throbbing headache.

"What are you doing?" Vernon demanded- though much less loudly. Obviously his need for discretion in the open had won the war against his urge to scream at his niece.

"Just looking for a quiet place to rest until I was startled, Uncle Vernon." Sarah lied smoothly. Damn, maybe the Sorting Hat knew what it was doing when it tried to put her in Slytherin House. In any case, there was no way in Hell she would admit that she was hiding in the bushed to listen to Muggle- non magical- news, especially not to her Uncle. What her Aunt saw in him Sarah would never know. Maybe it was the bias and bitterness? A thought for another time, perhaps when she wasn't in considerable pain from a blow to the head.

"Well rest somewhere else! I won't be disturbed by your freakishness." Vernon hissed. Sarah mentally ran through several witty retorts, realised that they would be wasted and walked away in weary silence.

Dusk found Sarah in a nearby park, sitting listless upon the sole swing left unbroken by Dudley and his gang. She had no intention of returning to Privet Drive until she had to- the longer she spent there the more appealing murder looked, a most unfitting attitude for the Golden Girl of the Wizarding World. At least, when they weren't making her out to be a deranged maniac. Still…four weeks she had been at Privet Drive, four weeks of Vernon's temper, her Aunts disdain and Dudley taking non-too sneaky lustful glances at her rear and chest. They were first cousins for God's sake! She highly doubted he would actually do anything, the Dursleys weren't that bad- merely petty and unpleasant, even if most of the mental issues she hid so well probably stemmed from the years sent living with them- but it still made her blood boil. Add to that the distinct lack of useful or interesting mail from her friends and Godfather, and she was starting to empathise with the 'Torture and Murder' philosophy of Lord Voldemort. It must be relaxing to be able to take your anger out on anyone you saw…no. Bad thoughts. Becoming a Dark Lady was a bad idea.

Sarah suddenly realised that the snide jabs the _Daily Prophet_ was taking at her sanity might not be that far off, which worried her. Sarah growled softly in frustration. She wasn't even able to take her anger out by blowing something up with magic- she was still under the legal age, one spell and the Ministry would have her by the balls- metaphorically speaking, of course, she was quite clear on her gender, even if her build was still slim and boyish, courtesy of a degree of being underfed for most of her life. Luckily, she was broken out of her musings by the raucous voices of a group of hooligans led by none other than her absurdly pampered cousin Dudley. Speak of the Devil…Sarah sat in the park, two voices conducting a mental war in her mind. On one hand, tormenting Dudley- his fear of magic was remarkably acute- was one of the few pleasures she had over the summer, even better if it was done in front of his gang. On the other hand, he might actually call her bluff with all his minions to back him up, and most of those minions were decidedly unpleasant. Fortunately, her dilemma was solved by the gang not noticing her where she sat, and passed by. Sighing, Sarah rose to her feet and followed silently, hidden by the lengthening shadows- Aunt Petunia was always furious when she returned after Dudley did, and Sarah still had a mild headache. The girl walked a short distance behind Dudley and his cronies, half listening to their inane babble about which ten-year old they had beaten up that night, pathetic really…hold on. Dudley had just been referred to as 'Big D'? Really? Part of Sarah's mind immediately wondered if any of the group had picked up on the euphemism there, and the rest of her mind shuddered violently at the thought. Some things were truly worthy of an _Obliviate_ spell. Still, reasonable taunting material, assuming Dudley was intelligent enough to realise it. No point in engaging in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent, after all. The last of Dudley's gang departed, and Sarah strolled up until she was walking next to her beefy cousin. He had at least gained some muscle since starting boxing, she reflected, but he still looked like a heart- attack waiting to happen.

"So," she drawled, "Big D eh? When did that happen? Tell me, do you mind if I still call you Ickle Diddykins?"

"Shut up." Dudley growled. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, you have silenced me with your witty and eloquent comeback. However shall I cope with the shame? Seriously though, what about 'popkins' or 'Dinky Diddydums'? Those aren't that bad, right?"

Dudley was slowly going purple, but obviously restraining himself. A small part of Sarah- probably the conscience expected of a saviour- felt bad, but the rest of her mind was busy dancing in malicious glee. This was so much _fun!_

"So", Sarah continued, wanting to see just how far her cousin could be pushed, "Who did you beat up tonight? Must have been a ten-year old, since you aren't out of breath."

Dudley was starting to twitch, and Sarah felt a remarkable satisfaction at being able to push her frustrations onto her cousin. From a psychological viewpoint, it was probably a bad sign that she was enjoying this so much. What would Dumbledore say? Oh well, no matter.

"Think you're so tough, don't you? With that freakish thing you're hiding." Dudley said in a low tone, breaking her from her thoughts. Well, if he wanted to play…Sarah pulled out her wand, tapping it against her palm in rhythm with her steps and taking a dark pleasure in the slight flinch Dudley gave.

"You- you can't use that here. You're out of school, you'd get expelled!"

My my, Dudley was more perceptive and intelligent than she gave him credit for. Maybe he was smarter than a Fruit Pastille, albeit only a little. Still, Sarah was pretty good at bluffing- her annual end-of-year near-death experiences had given her plenty of practice.

"How do you know the rules haven't been changed?" she asked, with a smirk worthy of the Ponce-uh, Prince- of Slytherin, Draco Malfoy himself.

"They haven't." Dudley said, although his confidence seemed shaky. Six out of ten for bluffing, Sarah thought, her smirk turning to a grin.

"If you didn't have that thing you'd never have the guts to take me on." Dudley blustered. Sarah gave a laugh, low and cold.

"Of course not, Dudders. Given that I'm an undernourished, untrained girl that should be obvious. However…I _do_ have 'this thing', so your point is moot. And, coming from someone who needs four helpers to beat up a ten year old, your words are not as wounding as you might believe." She answered silkily. Dudley sneered- not Draco Malfoy level, but passable. Seven out of ten, maybe.

"Really brave now, aren't you? You aren't this brave at night, though." He said. Sarah lost her smile.

"At night?" she said, honestly confused.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Dudders, but it is night, and I'm not particularly terrified."

"I mean when you're in bed!" Dudley snarled. Sarah stopped cold, forcing away the thought of Dudley looking at her in bed in favour of replying.

"I don't know what you mean, Dudley. What am I supposed to be frightened of, pillows?" she said, though her heart suddenly wasn't in it. Dudley had stopped walking as well, and his smirk was back. Oh, _hell._

"I heard you last night." He said breathlessly. "Talking in your sleep."

"What do you mean?" Sarah growled, though she had a horrible feeling that she already knew. She had seen the graveyard in her dreams last night, seen Voldemort's' return again. Dudley laughed harshly, adopting a mocking, whimpering tone.

"'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric- your boyfriend?"

Admittedly not one of the wittiest slurs ever made again her, it was still enough to spark anger through Sarah's veins. Almost of her own accord her wand rose, and she stepped forward, pressing it between Dudley's eyebrows.

"Shut up." She said, her voice cold, emotionless, almost murderous as years of anger surged through her, screaming at her to act, the law be damned. Dudley went utterly white.

"Point that thing somewhere else!" he squawked. Sarah paid no attention.

"Never speak of that again, do you understand?" she rasped. Predictably, Dudley wasn't listening.

"Point that thing somewhere else!"

"Are you listening to me? Do you-"

"Point that thing somewhere-"

Cold, flooding her veins. Dudley cut off with a shuddering gasp, and Sarah took a sudden step back as the night seemed to dim around her, the very stars consumed into a veil of opaque velvet. Even sound vanished, apart from the thumping of her heart and a faint, chilling scream. A woman's scream.

"Oh no."

Sarah turned on her heel, wand stretched out, fighting to see through the inky darkness as Dudley blubbered and whined at her to stop what she was doing. The scream was still faint, but her heart thudded painfully as it drew closer.

"I'll…I'll hit you!" Dudley threatened weakly. Sarah ignored him, he wouldn't-

Wham.

A fist collided with the side of her head, lifting her off her feet for an instant and throwing the slight witch to the ground. Her headache returned with a vengeance, but was pushed aside by a sweeping of utter panic as the thin stick that was her wand, her only weapon, flew from her fingers into the darkness.

"Dudley you moron!" she shouted, although she spared no time in searching for her wand, fingers groping blindly, the all-encompassing dark mocking her as she frantically tried to find her only hope of salvation. The scream again, mocking her efforts and accompanied by a high- pitched laugh.

" _Lumos!"_ she gasped, desperate, too desperate to consider that magic should only be possible with a wand in hand, and blessed relief swept through her as a bright light flared not two feet away from her hand. A quick motion, diving and snatching up the wand, but the cold was closer, the screaming still louder, and the first trace of a rasping, rattling breath in her ears.

"Dudley! Keep your mouth closed, no matter what!" Sarah screamed- she might not like him, but Dudley didn't deserve the fate the attacking creatures would inflict upon him. A flick through her memories, searching for a happy one…thoughts of her friends-

" _Expecto Patronum!"_ Sarah cried, but thoughts of being abandoned, the image of Cedric dead all flashed before her eyes, and the spell produced not a shining guardian but a thin wisp of white mist that barely slowed down the terrifying black-cloaked figure bearing down on her. She tried again, but once again just a wisp of white. The Dementor reached towards her, Sarah summoned all her willpower for one last attempt and-

" _Expecto Patronum!"_ barked a clear, strong voice, and a blazing white light burst across her eyes, causing the Dementor to screech and recoil. From the corner of her eye Sarah saw the beasts partner drop Dudley before they fled, still screeching, from the blazing light. Sarah let her knees crumple, but before she could fall again a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her up.

"Are you alright?" came an urgent voice in her ear, and Sarah briefly sagged into the arms of her rescuer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **I do not own Harry Potter, to the sadness of my bank account. Recognisable parts of this chapter stem from** ** _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_** **by J.K Rowling.**

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A soft curse, and the hands wrapped around Sarah pulled her upright.

"Don't faint on me now, Saviour." The voice said. The voice sounded familiar, somehow, the low, pleasant baritone oddly comforting. Sarah regained her legs, looked up, and flinched violently, only the quick movement of the stranger's hand preventing a scream from escaping. Her rescuer, whoever he was, wore dark robes and gloves- and a silvery face mask.

"Death Eat-"

"Hush, Miss Potter. I am no Death Eater. If I was, I would hardly have saved you from the Dementors, would I?" the man said softly. Sarah's brain forced itself back into action, and she realised that not only was the man correct, but he wasn't wearing a mask at all- rather, he was wearing a silvery scarf and the dim light had deceived her.

"Can you walk on your own?" the man asked gently, and Sarah nodded slowly, her mind whirling with thoughts of who he could be, before she realised-

"Dudley!"

"He seems to be in shock. Some chocolate would do him a world of good, but for now- _Mobilocorpus!"_ said a second figure, shorter and slighter than the man who had helped Sarah- a woman, thought the Girl Saviour. Dudley began to float in the air, apparently still stunned. Sarah blinked, and her rescuer gave a slight shrug.

"Much easier to- _Stupefy!"_

Sarah flinched as a streak of red flashed past her, and a thump sounded from the entrance to the alley.

"Oh, well done. You Stunned Arabella Figg." Noted the slighter figure.

"Ah. Well, she knows about us. She is a Squib supposed to keep an eye on Miss Potter after all. We'll wake her up once we reach Privet Drive- _Mobilocorpus."_

"Um," Sarah said, looking at the two strangers, "Isn't it a little…obvious…that those two are floating? Won't we be noticed?"

"Good point. Well, it's easy enough to-"

The man briefly tapped his wand on each floating figure, and they vanished. Sarah stared, and she heard the smile in the voice of the man.

"Disillusionment Charm- a bit like an Invisibility Cloak just less effective. Stealth is always useful, Miss Potter." He said, before motioning her to follow them through the dark and silent streets.

"Incidentally, you can call me Orion, and this is Theia."

"Uh, you might as well call me Sarah." Sarah replied, a little hesitantly. Orion and Theia? She had no idea who they could be- Orion walked with a slight limp and a cane in his right hand, but the only two people she knew like that were Lucius Malfoy, who had no limp, and Alastor Moody, who carried a staff. Still, those names…

"Are you related to Sirius Black, by any chance?" she asked carefully, as they drew closer to Privet Drive. Orion glanced at her.

"In a manner, yes, although I certainly don't approve of most of his family- particularly the ones who are Death eaters."

"So you're with Dumbledore?" Sarah asked, curious now. Orion shrugged, and made a noise that Sarah could only think of as 'meh'.

"I'm more of a loose cannon. It's certainly less working with Dumbledore and the Ministry and more working against Voldemort." He said. Sarah frowned.

"Is that a real difference?"

"Small but significant." Theia interrupted, her voice oddly calm and vaguely familiar to Sarah, just like Orion's. Sarah tried to figure out what they meant, but decided it was best left for another time. Orion sighed.

"Maybe it's easier to say that I'm not allied with Dumbledore exactly, but I am opposed to Voldemort. 'The enemy of my enemy', right? In any case, we're pretty much at your home now. Hopefully we aren't greeted by spell-happy Dumbledore supporters."

"Is that likely?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow sceptically. Orion shrugged.

"Always possible." He said cheerfully, pushing open the door and strolling into the living room, where Vernon and petunia gaped in stunned silence.

"Hello!" Orion said, far too cheerfully. Sarah hastily smothered a snicker.

"As you can see, I have returned your wayward son and maltreated niece to you- uh, Theia, would you-"

"Hmm? Oh, right." Theia muttered, rapping an invisible figure and causing the charm Orion had applied to fall away, revealing the levitating and frozen bodies of Dudley and Mrs Figg. Petunia and Vernon both yelped and jumped, and Sarah had the distinct sense that Orion had rolled his eyes.

" _Ennervate."_ He pronounced clearly, following it with a wave of his wand and a casual _'_ _Finite'_ that caused both Dudley and Mrs Figg to fall to the ground, whereupon Dudley vomited before curling into a sobbing ball and Mrs Figg directed a look of shock and horror towards the two dark robed figures.

"Oh. Yes, should have expected that. Oh well, he still has his soul, a little mental scarring might be good for him." Orion said cheerfully, causing Sarah to outright snort in laughter. She shouldn't be laughing, she knew, but it was just too funny to see the horror and rage warring on Vernon's face as Petunia fell to her knees next to Dudley and sobbed. Unfortunately, Vernon's rage won out, and he lunged at Orion with a roar of anger. The scarfed man moved faster than Sarah could believe, casting some spell Sarah didn't know-

"No!" Sarah shouted, suddenly realising where they were.

"If you cast spells here, I'll be-"

"You won't be expelled." Theia interrupted calmly.

"If the Ministry could track all spells cast around you you'd be getting an owl for the _Ennervate_ I used earlier. The Trace is on wands, the only other way to activate it would be to do it on purpose, and that would take something like a knowledgeable House-Elf."

That roused Sarah's suspicions- the man seemed far too knowledgeable. Still, whatever he had done was remarkably effective- Vernon was now being dangled in the air by one ankle, going increasingly purple.

"You Freak!" the man screamed. "What have you done to Dudley? And your Freak friends use that freakishness on me, you were never welcome here and-"

"No!" barked Orion, but too late.

"-And you never will be!"

"Ah, sod." Muttered Orion, as the whole house seemed to shudder. Theia flicked her wand twice, causing Vernon to fall to the carpet and ropes to spring up around him- all without an incantation, Sarah noticed.

"Well, so much for the Blood Wards. I didn't want _that_ to happen. Mrs Figg, would you be a dear and alert Dumbledore and his Order before the inevitable happens and Death Eaters or Ministry stooges arrive?" Orion said, while Theia hummed softly and tucked her wand back into her robes. Mrs Figg nodded hastily and scurried out of the house as Orion looked to Sarah.

"Sarah, could you go and pack up what you need? Theia, go with her, please. I'll stay here and explain to these morons."

Sarah nodded and set off briskly, Theia following in silence.

"What was that?" questioned Sarah. Theia seemed to sigh.

"The wards that are on this house are actually bastardised from the original blood protection your mother placed upon you. Whoever did it made a lot of changes, mostly clumsy, that caused the wards to protect this house as well, so long as you could consider it home and you lived here for a few weeks each year. Unfortunately, obviously Vernon's phrasing fulfilled the 'Consider it home' portion of that so this house is no longer protected."

"So does that mean the wards are only protecting me now?" Sarah asked as she hurried into her bedroom and began searching for her meagre possessions. Theia shrugged.

"Arcturus Orion is more knowledgeable in Blood Magic than I am, we will have to ask him- once we are safe. I hope Dumbledore gets here soon, I'd rather not be fighting Death eaters in a Muggle area." Theia said gloomily, before swishing her wand and causing all the possessions in the room to neatly pack themselves in the trunk before she shrank it with a brief wand tap.

"Let your owl go free, and put on your Invisibility Cloak. Stay hidden as well." Theia advised before striding back down the stairs, to where Orion was glaring at the Dursleys.

"Listen up, idiots." The man was saying. "You've spent fifteen, fourteen years under the protection of a charm linked to Sarah's blood. The walrus just broke that, so now you're fair game to every enemy Sarah has who mistakenly thinks you have her affection- you don't care about them, right?"

Sarah shook her head, and Orion nodded.

"As I said, you are now fair game, so you might want to get out of the country. Maybe to a place like North Korea, or Zimbabwe, nice and out of the way, understand? Your son will be fine, once he gets a helping of chocolate- not that he bloody needs to eat more chocolate- but you should leave the country, unless you enjoy being horribly tortured. Some people like things like that, I don't judge."

Despite the rather dire warning that Orion was issuing, Sarah had to smile at what he was saying. It was nice to be around someone who wasn't grim or annoyingly optimistic in the face of danger- Dumbledore in particular made it into the second category. A series of sharp cracks split the air, and Orion sighed.

"So much for subtlety on behalf of Dumbledore's minions. Apparating into the middle of an inhabited neighbourhood, at night as well, bloody idiots-"

Orion's grumbling was cut off as someone burst through the door and there was a shout of ' _Stupefy!'_. Theia moved in front of Sarah and held out her wand, a bark of ' _Protego!'_ bringing a translucent shield into place before them, blocking the red beam of light.

"Wait, wait, bloody hold fire!" Orion barked, holding up his hands to cover his face. Apparently confused by the request everyone froze, allowing Sarah to look around the slight form of Theia to see Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody pointing a wand at Orion and Theia, backed by Remus Lupin and a slim, pink haired girl Sarah didn't recognise.

"I don't talk to Death Eaters." Moody snarled, causing Orion to growl in anger from behind his own shimmering shield.

"Why do people keep thinking I'm a Death Eater? I wear a scarf, not a mask. I know more spells than the Unforgiveables and my family tree actually forks, I'm practically the opposite of a Death Eater. Hell, I saved your bloody Girl Saviour from Dementor _and_ I haven't killed the Dursleys or the Squib, what more do you want?"

Moody didn't even blink, but Lupin and the girl lowered their wands somewhat.

"He has a point." The girl admitted. "I mean, a DE would have killed the family, taken the girl and run. Although I don't see the girl anywhere-"

"She's under an invisibility cloak, behind the masked girl." Moody grunted, as Dumbledore entered in a sweep of vibrantly coloured and nausea inducing robes.

"Oh God man, at least try to blend in." Orion muttered as Dumbledore fixed him with a narrow glare.

"Who are you?" demanded the Headmaster. Orion sighed, and offered a half bow.

"Arcturus Orion Argent, at your service. Call me Orion, Arcturus sounds stupid."

"And you?" Dumbledore questioned, looking at Theia, who tilted her head.

"Theia Sable, Headmaster." She replied calmly.

"Why are you here?" continued the inquisition. Orion answered that one.

"Why, to help of course. You'll forgive me if I don't show my face, I'm a little recognisable." He said, with humour in his voice. Dumbledore remained uncompromising.

"Show us your left forearms." He demanded, and Sarah realised that she should have checked for the main identifying mark of a Death Eater. Orion seemed to flinch as Theia calmly rolled up her sleeve to show a slender, pale, unmarked forearm. Orion seemed reluctant to do so, but the wands of Dumbledore and Moody were steady on him and so he slowly pushed up his sleeve to reveal shining silver in place of flesh.

"Wormtail!" blurted Sarah, stumbling away, and Lupin immediately raised his wand again, rage crossing his face.

"What? No, Sarah, think! Wormtail only lost his hand, remember? And it was his right hand!"

The quick words stayed the spells as Sarah stared at him and Dumbledore glared in silence.

"Show you face." He demanded. Orion seemed to shift slightly.

"Not to everyone, Headmaster. I know you can look into minds, look into mine. That should prove I'm not a Death Eater. Besides, the wards, before they fell, would have kept out anyone with ill intent." He said. Dumbledore stared into the shadowed eyes of the dark robed man for a long moment, then nodded.

"He is no Death Eater." He said solemnly, and the aura of power seemed to fade from around him. Orion gave an audible sigh of relief.

"Surrender your wands." Dumbledore commanded. Orion and Theia seemed to exchange glances, then shrugged and passed their wands to the old man, who finally relaxed and waved the others to stand back.

"I assume if we were in a safer place you could tell us more about yourselves?" Dumbledore asked, mostly back to his genial self. Orion nodded stiffly, and Dumbledore beamed.

"Excellent!" he said happily, before putting a hand on the arm of Sarah.

"Remus, Nymphadora, you will bring our guests? Alastor, would you explain to the Dursleys what has happened? Take a deep breath, Sarah." The Headmaster said, before the world seemed to condense around her. The feeling was awful, like being squeezed through a narrow tube, which was enough for Sarah to realise that it was some form of magical transport.

"Apparition!" Dumbledore said happily, as Sarah fell onto blessed earth at the end. "A most unpleasant form of travel, but very convenient." The old man continued blithely. Once again, Sarah briefly found herself empathising with Voldemort hating the Headmaster. The other four arrived, all landing with far more grace than Sarah, and the Girl Saviour took the chance to look around at the grimy, unwelcoming area. Dumbledore waved his wand, and the streetlights went out before the old man passed three slips of paper to Orion, Theia and Sarah.

"Read those." The old man said quietly, and Sarah looked at the paper.

 _The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix are located at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place._

Sarah looked up, wanting to question, but before she could she saw two houses bulge out as a third sprouted into being between them. While Sarah was staring Dumbledore smiled and ushered them into the grimy house, where Sarah was greeted by a crushing hug from Molly Weasley.

"Oh, dear I was so worried!" exclaimed the Weasley matriarch, in an oddly hushed voice. The place was hardly what Sarah had expected- dark, damp and with a faint, sickly sweet smell of decay about it.

"Don't touch anything." Lupin whispered as he ushered her forwards. Everyone seemed very interested until staying quiet, until the pink haired girl stepped forward, tripped on an umbrella stand that looked suspiciously like a troll leg and went crashing down.

"Oh for the love of-"

Orion's mutter was cut off by an unholy shriek from before them as a pair of moth-eaten curtains flew open, and for an instant Sarah thought she was looking into a vision of Hell itself, before she realised she was seeing a life-size portrait, but one infinitely more unpleasant than any she had seen before. The old woman in the portrait was drooling, her eyes rolling, claw-like hands waving and screaming as though she was being tortured.

" _Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt, Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, despoiling the house of my ancestors!"_

The screeches were cut off by an even louder voice from a door next to the hall.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP" roared a man, running out and forcing the curtains closed, silencing the shrieks before turning to the wide eyed Sarah. Panting slightly and managing a slight smile, Sarah's Godfather Sirius turned to her.

"Hello, Sarah," he said with a remarkably even tone, "I see you've met my mother."

"Your mother?" Sarah repeated, incredulous. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, we're in my parents' house. I've been trying to get the painting down for a month but I think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the portrait-"

"Have you tried fire?" Orion chipped in, causing Sirius to give him a blank look.

"Who are you?"

"Arcturus Orion Argent, call me Orion if you like. Now, I'm supposed to reveal myself to your Order in a grand gesture, so-"

"Uh, right, the kitchen is this way." Sirius said, clearly bemused. Sarah had to smile at the smooth way Orion had diffused the tension- she hoped he was friendly, because he was pretty likeable. They group followed Sirius into a cavernous basement kitchen, were a large group of people were gathered- Sarah recognised the tall, red-headed figure of Ron Weasley and the much shorter, bushy haired from of Hermione Granger. Her best friends, even if they had all but ignored her this summer. Quite calmly, Orion walked into the middle of the kitchen, ignoring the stares of the assembled group, and pushed down his hood to reveal a head of messy black hair, although his scarf still obscured his face. Looking around, and obviously relishing the tension, Orion shrugged briefly, and pulled the silvery scarf away from his features. Utter silence fell.

"James?" Sirius whispered, looking faint.

"Dad?" echoed Sarah, her heart thumping. Orion turned gleaming, all too familiar emerald green eyes on her and smiled, a little sadly.

"Not quite."

* * *

 **Two days, two chapters for my first ever fanfic. Remarkable. Nonetheless, Read and review and feel free to point out mistakes- hopefully my ego can take it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **I shouldn't really have to say this again, but I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

There was an uproar. Almost all the members of the Order- which Dumbledore had still not properly explained to her, Sarah noted- were standing and shouting, Snape looked torn between disgust and anger, Sirius and Remus were staring with blank jaws and Dumbledore was looking blankly at Orion. Orion himself had walked across to the kitchen worktop and was leaning against it, a faint smirk on his features. He glanced at Sarah with those eyes, the same colour as her own, and rolled his eyes slightly. Sarah grinned back at him as they patiently waited for the shouting to die down. Eventually Dumbledore had had enough.

"Silence!" bellowed the old man, and blast of sound issuing from his raised wand and bringing silence, causing the members of the Order to slowly sink down into their seats. The Headmaster then looked at Orion.

"Explain this." He said, an undercurrent of anger running through his voice. Orion leaned his cane against his leg and smiled.

"Would you like the believable answer, or the truthful one? Both are equally satisfying, I assure you."

Orion looked younger than Sarah had expected, she thought, about her age, but he carried himself as though he was much older. Curious…but now he was offering the truth? Surely Dumbledore would not be stupid enough to ignore that chance.

"I would like the truth." Dumbledore said with icy politeness, and Orion shrugged.

"If you like-"

"How do we know he's telling the truth?" an Order member butted in. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Should I get my wand back and swear a magical oath?" he said. Sarah caught the sarcasm buried in his tone- it was a tone very similar to one she used herself. Sirius let out a brief bark of laughter.

"You know as well as I do that binding Magical Oaths don't exist. What do you do- say the words, wordlessly cast a flashy charm and cast a Patronus afterward?"

"Can't con a conman…well, listen and then you can confirm what I say with Veritaserum…I dare say the pet Potion Master has some?"

Snape glared, but gave no comment to the contrary.

"Very well then. What do you know of alternate Universes?"

The Order stared in disbelieving silence, until Dumbledore spoke.

"The old theory that there are many realities just like our own, but with certain differences?"

"Oh, indeed. Let us imagine that in one such Universe everything happened as in this Universe…except that the first and only child of James and Lily Potter was not Sarah-"

Guessing the cue, Sarah added her middle name- Rose.

"Rose? The Evans family must have a think for flowers… anyway, rather than being Sarah Rose Potter the child was born Harry James Potter…"

"You?" questioned Sirius, eyes wide. Orion shot him a glance and continued regardless.

"In any case, events in that reality proceeded much like I assume they did here…living in a cupboard for ten years,"- Sarah flinched slightly at that, fortunately no-one noticed- "Killing a Professor to save the Philosophers Stone, slaying a Basilisk, saving my Godfather from a horde of Dementors, and so on. Voldemort rose again, and I barely escaped him with the body of Cedric Diggory…that was probably the point at which I realised that I wasn't going to bring down the Dark Lord with stunning and disarming spells. I spent my fifth year being tortured for speaking out about the return of Voldemort, at the hands of a sadistic Ministry stooge assigned to the DADA position at Hogwarts, until the end of the year when a set-up by Voldemort led to the death of my Godfather."

Sirius went utterly pale at that, and Sarah felt a chill in her bones.

"That was the point at which I started learning what you could call Dark magic…a means to an end…I doubt my Dumbledore ever approved, if he knew. Of course, given how many secrets he kept from me, I think I had a right to keep some from him. He spent my Sixth year drip-feeding me information on Voldemort, very little of it useful, until he died."

There was shock throughout the room, utterly silencing all of them, at the revelations that Orion practiced Dark Magic and that Dumbledore had died.

"Did you kill him?" demanded Snape in a flat tone. Orion gave him a look of disgust.

"No. Much as I wanted to at certain times, if I was going to kill Dumbledore I would have waited until Voldemort was out of the picture. Moving on…I spent my seventh year on the run, while the Ministry bowed to Voldemort, trying to collect and destroy the…trinkets…that kept Voldemort on this mortal plane- I'll tell you all about them, but I'm afraid I don't trust most of the Order. No offence intended. And then came the Final Battle, the Battle of Hogwarts, the Resistance against Death Eaters. I'll admit, it was a disaster in almost every way. Voldemort was killed, yes, and by my hand no less, but pretty much everyone in this room died, including me, and I was the only one who got better…and most of the deaths were gruesome, particularly the ones who Bellatrix and Voldemort themselves got their hands on. I'd tell you, but I don't want you to have nightmares. At the end, there I was, stood above the ashes that were all that was left of Voldemort after I'd killed him and immolated the body, when someone- I never found out who- cast a very nasty Withering curse at Theia. I reacted in time, blocked it with my wand hand, but as you saw, I didn't come out of it whole. Good thing I'd learned that silver hand replacement spell… I responded automatically, with a wide arc cutting spell that killed or maimed quite a few people, and all of a sudden the battle was back on. Theia only just managed to Apparate us out when the spells started flying, and I had to amputate my own forearm to stop the curse from spreading."

Here Orion sighed lightly, and looked down, seemingly oblivious to his enraptured audience.

"I admit, I didn't handle it well. I'd died, recovered, been maimed and lost a lot of important people to me, and the War was still on. I, well, I basically went insane, and went on something of an anti-pureblood crusade. When it was over, once I was captured by the Ministry- the Resistance had actually won against the Death Eaters left over, and other countries sent support- it was several years later, and I was being called a Dark Lord in my own right."

Orion looked back up, meeting Sarah's eyes, and smiled slightly.

"I don't advise being a Dark Lord, Sarah. It's lonely and depressing, especially when you're being hunted and have no minions. I gave myself up to the International Auror team that tracked me down, and was sentenced to the Dementors Kiss. What a bloody joke…bloody Lucius and Draco got off scot free, just because that bitch Narcissa didn't tell Voldemort I was still alive in the Final Battle once his Killing Curse had failed on me again. Even Bellatrix hadn't been sentenced to the Kiss at the end of the First War…nonetheless, I was to have my soul sucked out. Unfortunately for the Ministry, I had one friend left…Theia broke into Azkaban, and freed me. She already had a plan. We broke into the Ministry- security never got above pathetic- made it to the Death Chamber, and jumped through the Veil there. Sure, we had to make a…sacrifice, of three powerful items, but we wound up in Little Whinging, just before the Dementor attack on Sarah, in time to help and almost seven years younger. Or I seem to be, at least. Theia?"

"It was an expected effect of travelling back to this point on the timeline." Theia responded airily. Orion shrugged.

"So, there you have it. My story in a nutshell. Now, time for Veritaserum twenty questions I assume?"

There was a long, pregnant pause, and Sarah felt an overwhelming urge to break it.

"So…you're a Dark Lord?" she said, gaining incredulous looks from Ron, Hermione and most of the Order. Orion smiled, obviously amused.

"Not anymore. Of course, you probably won't believe me but, like I said, Dark Magic is just a means to an end."  
'Damn it,' Sarah thought, 'Stop making so much sense. It isn't helping!'

As though reading her mind, Orion's crooked smile widened. It was odd, though, that he'd pretty much admitted to being a Dark Lord at one point yet none of the Order had-

A blur flashed past Sarah and crashed into Orion, throwing him back against the kitchen counter and pulling a curse from most of the Order. It was Lupin, the man had pinned Orion against the counter with his wand to the young man's throat- oh hell, what was the werewolf thinking? Orion had a _silver hand,_ Lupin would have a severe allergic reaction if he was even touched, and even then Theia was still there! Sarah shot a brief look at the girl as the Order gaped, except for a few who had drawn their wands, and Orion seized his chance. His cane smacked into Lupin's knee, causing the werewolf to stagger slightly, and Orion brought his left hand- fortunately gloved- up and forced away Lupin's wand hand, spinning the werewolf around and kicking the back of his knee while also pulling the wand from his hand and pressing it against the head of the now kneeling Lupin. Watching closely, Sarah saw Orion's eyes flash an unholy crimson for a long instant.

"That's why you idiots were losing the last war, and why you'll lose this one." Orion said, his voice low and threatening.

"Half of you are stupidly impulsive, and most of the rest are too slow on the uptake to help them! Look at you! Only Dumbledore, Sirius, Kingsley and Snape have even drawn their wands, and of all of you only Kingsley and Sarah glanced at Theia to check what she's doing! She could blast you all before you reacted, Mad Eye would be ashamed. If I was really a Dark Lord you've just given me a weapon, Remus, and sacrificed yourself…even then, why are the rest of you gaping rather than acting? Surely one life is worth stopping me? You'll need to stop being so naïve if you want to best Voldemort this time, Dumbledore. You might not like it, but it's true…be grateful that I've really got over being a Dark Lord." Orion finished, before shoving Remus away from him and throwing his wand in an arc towards Sirius, who smoothly snatched it out of the air as the rest of the Order finally reacted. Dumbledore, conversely, slowly lowered his wand.

"I think he has rather proven that he does not want to harm us by his actions." The old man said in a low voice. Snape snarled.

"He could be trying to trick us! And why did the werewolf even attack him?"

"Oh, I daresay it had something to do with the perceived betrayal of James Potter that Orion being a Dark Lord would imply." Theia chipped in quietly. Dumbledore nodded.

"Severus, if you could fetch some Veritaserum?" he asked, as Sirius gave Lupin his wand back and put a hand on the werewolf's shoulder. Snape sneered, but obediently left in a swish of robes as Orion leaned back against the counter. Sarah looked closely at Orion, who shot her a brief wink, his eyes back to emerald green.

"Incidentally, Dumbledore, I have something to ask you. You see, I found out just after the Final Battle that I had a certain ability that was blocked…a rather useful one, as it happens."

As Orion spoke, before Sarah's widening eyes, Orion's hair changed colour to a near white blond and lengthened slightly, and his eyes turned to a steel grey colour.

"Limited though my Metamorphagus ability is, it's been quite useful. I can see why you bound it, certainly, the Dursleys were unpleasant enough as it was without my hair changing colour on a regular basis, but why not unbind it once I entered Hogwarts?"

Sarah looked at Dumbledore in shock, seeing the old man frowning.

"I…you have a valid point. However, I haven't taken off the binds because I wanted to ensure that it wasn't a widely known ability Sarah had, and the Hogwarts rumour mill would soon leave it as common knowledge. I assume this is why you changed your name as well?"

Orion nodded.

"The name Harry Potter was well known, as was how I looked. With different coloured hair and eyes I was a lot harder to recognise, and with a different name as well-"

"You said you didn't like the name Arcturus. Why take it as your first name then?" Hermione asked, the first of Sarah's friends to speak up. Orion smiled.

"Two reasons. Firstly, have you met a Purebloods? Draco, Lucius, Rabastan, Ginevra…ridiculous names are the norm. As well, people are a lot less likely to suspect that your name is fake if you insist you don't like it and use a different one. Double-bluff, see? And it's even more effective given that Wizards and Witches very rarely use their logic." He said easily, as Snape re-entered, doing a brief double-take at Orions changed appearance. The young man gave him an amused look, as the Potions Master passed a small vial of some clear fluid to Dumbledore.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sarah asked. "What if there are questions you don't want to answer?"

Orion smiled and sat down in a chair Dumbledore conjured for him, incongruously soft and squashy.

"I trust Theia to Silence me before I say anything incriminating…although I'd appreciate it if you try to avoid any particularly sensitive questions." He said, tilting back his head and obediently opening his mouth to receive three drops of clear Veritaserum. Immediately his eyes went blank and his posture turned relaxed. Theia shifted slightly, and Sarah caught a brief look at the way she shifted- she almost certainly had a second wand, Sarah reckoned.

"What is your name?" asked Dumbledore.

"Arcturus Orion Argent." Came the toneless reply. Dumbledore frowned a little.

"You have to be more specific. His name is indeed Arcturus Orion Argent, just as much as Harry James Potter is. He'll give the one more relevant to him." Theia volunteered. Dumbledore looked to Snape, who reluctantly nodded his agreement.

"Very well… would you ever join the Dark Lord who calls himself Voldemort?"

"No." came the flat response.

"You have to be quite specific as to what answer you want. Veritaserum answers the question, and only the question." Snape said grudgingly. Dumbledore nodded.

"Why would you not join Voldemort?"

"I bow to no one."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Voldemort recognises none as allies, only slaves and servants. I am neither."

Sarah blinked. That was…unexpected. Obviously Orion was more amoral than she was.

"Do you support the ideals of Lord Voldemort?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He is a fool to try to destroy muggleborn. The Purebloods are stagnant and will become increasingly so. A society that does not move forward is a society that is dead." Orion said, obviously pushing himself to be more verbose.

"Was the story you told us true?"

"Yes."  
"What happened to the Ron and Hermione of your world?" Hermione broke in. Orion didn't react, but replied in the same soft, emotionless tone.

"I do not know what happened to Hermione. She died sometime after I fled the Final Battle with Theia. Ron blamed me for her death and attacked me. I was insane at that point and killed him."

"Why were you insane?" asked Sarah, half wanting to hear and half afraid to hear it.

"The horrible deaths of many people I knew combined with receiving the memories of Lord Voldemort drove me into temporary insanity." Orion said. Theia shifted slightly, but didn't move to silence him.

"How did you receive the memories of Lord Voldemort?" Sarah asked, her throat dry.

"When Lord Voldemort attacked me when I was a baby his soul was fractured by the rebounding Killing Curse and latched onto my soul. During the battle Voldemort hit me with another Killing Curse when I offered myself to him to stem the bloodshed and protect prisoners he was threatening. The soul fragment allowed me to survive the curse but it was shattered and absorbed into my own soul. I began to see the atrocities of Voldemorts life in my dreams and it sent me insane."

Sarah tried to swallow, her throat seeming to close as a look of deep resignation fell upon Dumbledore's face and Sirius' hand fell onto her shoulder.

"Is there another way to remove the soul fragment?" Sirius asked softly.

"I do not know. I hoped to search the Black library for a way in this reality, before most of the Darker books are destroyed."

"What do you seek here?" the Headmaster added. A slight smile crossed the face of Orion, showing that the Veritaserum was wearing off and this would be the last question.

"To help Sarah defeat Voldemort and to allow her and myself to pursue a life that is not overshadowed by Voldemort or the agendas of idiot politicians. It is grossly unfair to place such a burden on the shoulders of a teenager, by any measure." Orion finished, turning grey eyes, now streaked with red, onto Sarah.

"Are those all the questions?" he asked innocently. Dumbledore nodded silently, still looking grim.

"Yes…yes, it is, but I would like to talk with you about something else… Minerva, Severus, Sirius, would you stay? I think we have something to talk about."

"Ah, so the Order does have an Inner Circle. You might as well leave Sarah as well –she needs to hear it."

There were immediate protests, not least Molly Weasley's shouts that Sarah was 'Still a child'- apparently ignoring that Sarah had almost died multiple times, killed a teacher and a giant snake, almost had her soul stolen twice and seen a friend die before her- but Dumbledore silenced them with a single look, his aura rising around him again.

"So be it." The old man acquiesced.

* * *

 **Huh. Three days, three Chapters. I'll have to see how long I can keep this up... anyway, Read, Review and most importantly Enjoy, people!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Harry Potter is not my work. 'nuff said.**

* * *

Sarah sat nervously as the Order filed out, with many dark looks and grumbles that Orion looked amused at, the red now faded entirely from his eyes. Indeed, Sarah was no longer sure it was not a trick of the light…though it had been eerily similar to the crimson eyes of Voldemort, and Orion had already shown himself able to change the colours of his eyes.

"So, this is the Inner Circle of the Order. No wonder they were so useless during the War… I assume Mad Eye would also be included if he were here?" Orion said, clearly not wanting to move straight onto business- Sarah recognised it as a stalling tactic she sometimes used. Dumbledore nodded.

"Was this a problem?" he asked. Orion smirked.

"Problem? Oh no, not a problem…at least until Sirius, the Headmaster and Moody ended up dead and everyone thought Snape was a traitor to the Order. Kingsley and McGonagall did their best I'm sure, but-"

Snape was the one who became impatient enough to interrupt.

"Enough stalling! Tell us what you have to!" he snarled. Orion glanced at him, still smiling in an infuriatingly serene manner.

"Now now, Severus. Patience is a virtue."

Snape glared, and Orion lost his smile.

"Stay out of my mind, Snape. I can feel you probing, and if you don't desist I _will_ break you." He said harshly, and Sarah suddenly caught a glimpse of the Dark Lord he freely admitted to once have been. Snape flinched slightly, and Theia placed her hand on Orion's shoulder, causing him to relax again, his cheerful façade returning.

"Now, onto business. Are any of you aware of what a Horcrux is?"

The group looked blankly at Orion, all but Dumbledore, who remained impassive. Orion sighed.

"As I assumed. Now, a Horcrux is a work of Dark magic most foul. In their most basic essence, Horcruxes are a fragment of a soul sealed in a carrier- usually an object- that act as an anchor to the rest of the soul, preventing death so long as they exist. They are quite unnatural, and created by a long and painful ritual which must be carried out in very specific circumstances. You see, killing causes damage to the soul, a rip of sorts. Given time this rip seals over, but, if you are quick enough, there is a ritual that enables a Wizard or Witch to widen the rift and separate their soul, placing it into an item or, more rarely, a being, to create a Horcrux. Most books say that an act of murder is also required, but I believe that it may be more the mind-set from murder that helps in the ritual- after all, what would Magic know of human morality?"

The group was still staring, but now in horror, and Sarah felt sick.

"You seem very well informed." Sirius said suspiciously. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Some of this I learned from my Dumbledore in Sixth year, but most is from Voldemorts memories- I do have them, remember? In any case, Horcruxes are not all that well known- hard to research, you see, and even the worst Dark Lords in history have created one at the most. Voldemort, of course, is different. You see, if Horcruxes really worked, we would have ancient Dark Lords all over the place, but we don't, which makes me think that there is some flaw inherent in them…"

"Are you saying that Voldemort made one of these…Horcruxes…and that's why he didn't die in October 1981?" McGonagall questioned. Orion grinned in a manner that made Sarah think of a predator, and kicked her mind into motion.

"No," she said softly, "not one."

The Order members stared at her, and Orion made a motion with his hand that indicated she should elaborate. Sarah sighed.

"The Diary must have been one." She said tiredly. "I must be another, and if his soul was badly damaged enough that I was created without the needed ritual-"

Orion clapped his hands, once, twice.

"Logic is a wonderful and terrible thing, no? Don't fret, Dumbledore, I'll tell you what the Horcruxes are. Now, I think we can all agree that Voldemort was never exactly sane, but he became increasingly crazy throughout the years, yes? I think this coincided with his creation of more Horcruxes. My Dumbledore believed that Voldemort wanted to create six Horcruxes and have his body as the seventh, given that seven is one of the magically significant numbers….he didn't quite manage that. No, if you want to kill Voldemort for good you have seven trinkets to deal with."

"Seven?" Sirius squeaked. Orion grinned.

"Well, not quite. You see, there have been seven Horcruxes of Voldemort- in order, the Diary, a Ring belonging to the Gaunt family, the Locket of Salazar Slytherin, the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, Sarah there and the snake Nagini, with the fifth piece of soul in the construct that is Voldemort at this current time."

Sirius, McGonagall and Snape all sagged, apparently overwhelmed by the scope of their task, but Sarah looked at the impassive expression of Dumbledore and Orion's grin and quashed her fear.

"You know more, Orion, or you wouldn't be grinning." She said quietly. Orion nodded.

"I defeated Voldemort, remember? I destroyed all the Horcruxes, and most of them shouldn't be hard to collect…. You see, one is gone already, the Diary. One is sat next to us and can be dealt with easily enough, although I'd prefer a different method to the one used on me. The Ring is hidden in the old Gaunt Shack that Dumbledore can find- be careful there, it has a very powerful compulsion charm and a deeply unpleasant withering charm on it, led to Dumbledore's death in my world actually. The Locket is actually in this house, stolen by Regulus Black before Voldemort killed him."

"My brother?" Sirius whispered, and Orion nodded, no longer smiling.

"He was a brave man, Sirius. I always regretted that you never learned how your brother helped in the war against Voldemort. The other Horcruxes, well, the Diadem is at Hogwarts so that will be easy to get. It's the last two that will be a real problem."

"The snake Nagini is always with the Dark Lord." Snape contributed, causing Orion to nod.

"And that should be the last one destroyed. The Cup is in the Gringotts vault of Bellatrix Lestrange- I'd advise you use a different method of retrieving that than I did. The goblins were quite angry than me, Ron, Hermione and Theia broke into the vault and rode a dragon out- it took half the gold in the Black Vault and all the goblin artifacts I had to pacify them. Lucky thing that the Blacks are so obscenely wealthy."

"You broke into Gringotts." Sirius said blankly. Orion nodded.

"Yep."

"Are you insane?"

"Probably. But then again, insanity is just a frame of mind."

Sarah's Godfather blinked at Orion, looking utterly bemused.

"Are you always like this?"

"Ah, no. Not all the time. I can be sensible, and I did spend most of my fifth and sixth years in Hogwarts in depression for various reasons. Insanity is liberating, you know?"

"Well, yes. That is true. Are there any other shocks you'd like to drop on us?"

"Not that I can think of…Theia? Anything to add?"

"I don't believe so. We've told them about the Horcruxes, we've offered to help…oh, we should ask Dumbledore to let us join Sarah's year in Hogwarts. And I should probably reveal who I am."

"Oh. Yes, you probably should. How did we miss that to begin with?"  
"You must be more interesting."

"Oh, stop, you'll make me blush."

Sarah eventually broke into the conversation that they were holding.

"So, are you going to tell us who you are?" she asked. Theia shrugged, pulling down her hood and removing her scarf. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah saw Orion's hair change colour to a red-brown colour, almost bronze.

"We look like siblings otherwise." He explained. "I'm not that concerned with imitating Purebloods."

Sirius looked glum at that jab, and Orion shrugged at him.

"Be honest Sirius, how closely related are the Blacks and the Malfoys or Lestranges? In fact, how closely related were your parents?"  
"Far too closely." Sirius said gloomily.

"Cheer up. You aren't so bad." Sarah offered. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Oh, cheers." He said grumpily. Sarah frowned at him.

"Are you sure you're mature enough to be part of the Orders Inner Circle? What is the Order, anyway?"

"There isn't really an Inner Circle, these just happen to be the only members who were part of the Order in the First War and skill. And The Order of the Phoenix is a vigilante group formed by Dumbledore in the First War. Of course, they used to be less vigilante since the Ministry used to accept them." Theia offered.

"Oh." Sarah said, looking at her and realising she didn't recognise her. Theia had quite long, pale blond hair and silvery-blue eyes in a pretty face, and Sarah felt like she should recognise her but didn't.

"I…think I should recognise you, but-"

"Miss Lovegood?" McGonagall said, sounding disbelieving.

"It's remarkable how different the lack of radish earrings can make her look, isn't it." Orion noted laconically. Theia smiled.

"Ginny's friend Luna Lovegood? I didn't expect that…so the crazy act is-"

"Mostly an act, yes. Although I'm surprised you know her, I didn't meet Luna until my Fifth year." Orion offered. Sarah shrugged.

"I know most of Ginny's friends, I made sure to talk to her on a fairly regular basis."

"Ah, that explains it. Hmm. My alternate female self is a better person than I am. Should I be concerned about that?"

"Probably not." Sirius said, while Snape looked at them in disgust.

"In any case, Headmaster, I assume we will be able to join Sarah's year? Incidentally, I'd like to take Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, and I'll pass the Ancient Runes fourth-year test if you could get it for me. Divination really is a waste. Theia?"

"I think I'll stay with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. It might be boring but at least I'll know what I'm doing." Theia said airily.

"Are you going to keep answering to Theia, or to Luna?" asked Sarah, curious. Theia shrugged.

"There will still be a Luna in your school, so Theia is better. I'll probably need to put on some glamours as well- we can't all be a Metamorphagus."

"If that is all, Headmaster, I have better things to do than listen to this inane babble." Snape said in a tone of disgust. Sarah grinned slightly, glancing at an amused Orion, and realised that half the casual talk had been to annoy the Potions Master, who had left in a swirl of his robes.

"That man has style, you know that? Is there anything else, Headmaster? Oh, I should probably say that you don't need to get Snape to give low quality Occlumency lessons to Sarah- Occlumency is the art of guarding the mind, Sarah. I'll do it."

"Are you qualified?" Dumbledore asked. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Assuredly more-so than a man who cannot let go of a grudge several decades old and has transferred it to the child of a man he hated. Snape is poor even at teaching potions, and while I may know that I can trust him to hate Voldemort I would not trust him to poke around in my mind. His inability to teach me to properly shield my mind led to Voldemort being able to lure me to the Ministry of Magic and led to the battle where my Sirius died. I will not let that happen again."

There was a long moment of silence after that declaration, before Orion spoke again.

"Now, if that is all, I would like my wand back and to be able to get some sleep. I don't know if you noticed during my story, but I was only broken out of Azkaban a week ago, and it's been quite a long day. Breaking and entering and dimensional travel, you know?"

Now that he had mentioned it, Orion did look quite gaunt, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. Still, he didn't look nearly as bad as Sirius had done when Sarah had first met him.

"You don't look as bad as I would have expected for someone imprisoned in Azkaban for a year." Sarah blurted. Orion looked at her.

"A lot of Dementors never returned to Azkaban after the War…the International Aurors seemed pleased about it, actually. Nonetheless, Azkaban was less a place of torture and more an actual prison when I was there. I still had Dementors floating past regularly though, one of the perks of being in High Security."

Dumbledore looked more closely at Orion, then shrugged and gave him two wands, one of which Orion handed to Theia, keeping a deep red one for himself.

"No, it isn't my Holly and Phoenix feather wand." He said, predicting the next question.

"I was holding that wand when I was hit by the Withering Curse that cost me my hand, and it destroyed the wand as well. This one is Thestral bone and Redwood."

"Odd combination." Sirius noted. Orion gave him a crooked grin.

"Knockturn Alley wandmakers tend to be a little less orthodox that Ollivander, although that doesn't necessarily mean they don't know their trade."

"Well, I believe I shall leave you for now…I have much to think on, and I daresay you wish to rest and become acquainted with the people you will be attending school with…or is that re-acquainted?" Dumbledore said, complete with grandfatherly chuckle. Orion glanced at him, his expression momentarily unreadable.

"Acquainted, I think. Have a nice evening, Headmaster." He said, as Dumbledore left in a swirl of robes.

"That man has serious colour coordination issues." Orion said, looking after him. Sirius cleared his throat.

"So…well, this is awkward. Looks like we'll have to find you somewhere to sleep…we did have George, Fred and Ron in one room and Sarah, Hermione and Ginny in another, but we can't just add you to each room…and I don't think Ron will manage in a room with you Orion, he looked worried enough as it was…maybe if we put Ron in one room, Fred and George in another, Hermione and Ginny, Sarah and Theia and Orion in one last room."

Orion raised an eyebrow.

"When did you become so responsible?"  
"I didn't, but I can't let myself be shown up by a fifteen year old, can I?"

"You usually do…oh, Sirius, a piece of advice. Either be nice to Kreacher, or kill him. Remember the words of Niccolo Machiavelli."

"Who?"

Orion sighed.

"An author, hardly that relevant I suppose but, to paraphrase, 'Be feared, or be loved, but do not be hated'. Words to live by."

"Why, you've become positively philosophical Orion." Theia commented. Orion smiled.

"Hanging around you clearly has benefits. And besides, insanity gives you a very… _unique_ viewpoint."

"And I thought I was bad." Sirius mumbled, causing Sarah to smile at her Godfather, who was handling this quite well, she thought, given that an almost clone of one of his oldest friends had turned up in his kitchen before turning out to be a male alternate version of the man's Goddaughter. Put like that it seemed really bizarre…

"I think I need to lie down from all the paradox." Sarah said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Orion gave her a sympathetic glance.

"Imagine how I feel. Almost everyone I've met today are people I knew to be dead. Then again, I've just dropped a whole lot of information on you, and I at least knew what I was likely to get into, so…"

"As self-sacrificing as ever." Theia murmured, causing Orion to grimace.

"Yes, I'll try to avoid that. I didn't enjoy the moping around I did during my fifth and sixth years."  
"Mmm. I don't know, some girls quite liked the brooding look…"

"Quit it. I need sleep too badly to engage in a battle of wits with you."

"Or, of course, you don't want to admit to being unarmed…"

"Damn it, that's my line!" Sarah and Orion exclaimed at exactly the same time. Sirius burst out laughing, causing the two to glance at each other and scowl.

"This is going to get complicated quickly." Sarah grumbled. The only response from Orion was a grumble.

Later that night, Sarah rose from her bed, jerked out a restless slumber filled with nightmares. Internally thankful that she had erected silencing charms- using the Trace free wand of Theia just in case- she dressed quietly and made her way down through the old, dusty house to the kitchen, the one spot which didn't feel like a bad horror movie prop. To her surprise, the kitchen wasn't empty- on single figure sat at the table, head bowed.

"Can't sleep?"

Orion asked, dark red locks hiding steel grey eyes and his smooth baritone voice unusually empty.

"No…and I see I'm not the only one. Nightmares."

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"Both. The graveyard again."

"Ah. Yes. The Graveyard. Yet another traumatic experience to add to the list…myself, I try not to sleep too long. The nightmares are always eager to play, even more so when I can't remember what happened in them. It is a curious feeling, you know, to fear and hunger for them at the same time."

"I wondered what you were hiding from Dumbledore…you can't remember the times when you were…"  
"Insane? Most of them. I remember some things…remember the look of terror on Draco's face before I transfigured him into a plush doll and left him outside Hagrid's hut for Fang to find. I remember the expression on Nott senior's face when I cursed him with a blood freezing curse. I remember the sight of Crabbe and Goyle senior looking at me in dull agony as my curse transformed their flesh to stone…and yet, I feel no guilt, no shame…and that _horrifies_ me."

Sarah sat in silence, realising that to interrupt would do no good, awful though some of the words for.

"Dumbledore asked me why I came here, why I wanted to help. I could see it in his eyes, he was wondering if I wanted redemption."

"Do you?" Sarah asked, her voice soft. Orion laughed bitterly.

"Redemption? I sought it, once. But now, well, all the acts I feel guilt for I had no real part in causing, and all the acts I should be atoning for I feel no guilt over. It is a terrible thing, this life. I still _feel,_ but not for so many. Something I realised in Azkaban…Dementors are far less effective against those without remorse."

"Why would you feel no remorse?" Sarah asked. Orion sighed, bringing up his right hand and laying his cane on the table. His head moved slightly, and Sarah sensed that his eyes were fixed upon the wood.

"I think…well, you heard my story of why I went insane. Care to take a guess?"  
"Voldemort's soul." Sarah murmured. Orion sighed.

"Voldemort is in many ways, a broken man. All he feels is rage, and sometimes a hollow satisfaction. A terrible existence…and I fear I may take it on. Not entirely, for I still care for people…Theia, clearly, you, to an extent, some others, and my heart aches for so many…but not enough. I am a changed man. That, as much as anything, is why I want to find a way to free you of Voldemort's soul without causing it to infect your own…a purpose in my life."

"That is why you are truly here?"

Orion laughed quietly.

"Oh, my dear alternate self…or perhaps pseudo-sister is better. Yes, my dear pseudo-sister, of course I'm hiding something in my dark and troubled past. Always have an ace up your sleeve."

"You still have more secrets then."

"Naturally. If I gave all away, the Order would be far more eager to…dispose of me. I have, of course, admitted to becoming a Dark Lord under the influence of Voldemort's soul…I know how many of them look at me. Just another monster...whether that is true or not."

All Sarah could do was reach out a hand to the still gloved left hand of the tired and damaged Orion, neither of the two noticing the dark figure watching silently from the shadows just outside the kitchen door.

* * *

 **Broke my 'A Chapter a day' streak...ah well. Hope you enjoy, Read and review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **I don't own Harry Potter. Also, just in case, there are some mildly gruesome scenes described in this chapter, so if you have a delicate constitution be warned.**

* * *

Just after breakfast the next day Remus Lupin found Orion in the library, tapping an irregular rhythm on the table he sat at and sipping tea as he glared at a stack of books.

"I'm surprised that Kreacher let you bring food and drink in here." Lupin commented. Orion gave him a distracted, off-handed wave.

"I got the drop on him. He's Stunned in a corner somewhere." He replied.

"Oh." Lupin replied cautiously. Orion sighed.

"I know, I shouldn't do it, but he was creeping around grabbing all the books he could and I couldn't not take my chance. Bloody menace. Anyway Professor, there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Um, yes. And it's Remus."

"Remus, then. What is it?"

"I…wanted to apologise for, well, attacking you last night." Lupin said. Orion looked at him apparently surprised.

"Oh? You don't have to. I might not have been pleased to have been attacked, but you let me make a point and, really, I had just told you that I was the son of one of your best friends- an alternate version of him, anyway- and that I was a Dark Lord- your reaction was warranted. I'm more worried that the rest of the Order either were too shocked to move or thought I was honestly disarmed because Dumbledore took a wand from me. Dangerously complacent that."

"You weren't disarmed?"

Orion smiled, lifting up his hands. He flicked his left hand, causing a red wand to flick into his hand.

"My redwood want." He said easily, laying it on the table. Still smiling he then flicked his right hand, causing a pale and horribly familiar wand to spring into his right hand.

"That's-"  
"Voldemort's wand, yes. I looted it from his body before I torched it, and it makes a reasonable backup. I don't like using it, though. It's been tainted by its old owner."

"You mean that it-"

"Has become dangerously attuned to Dark magic over its lifetime. Ollivander wasn't wrong when he implied that wands have some degree of sentience. I'd much prefer my old one, but whoever cast that Withering Curse at me cost me that. Along with my ability to properly shake hands with werewolves without wearing gloves, of course."

Lupin raised an eyebrow at that poor joke, but chose not to push it.

"I…also heard you talking to Sarah last night." The shabbily dressed man said. Orion glanced at him, frowning slightly.

"AH. Well, I assure you that I rarely indulge in such sessions of self-pity. I considered it somewhat fitting since I'd made it to a new world. That reminds me, I need to persuade the Order to let me and Theia go into Diagon Alley- I'm not sure about her but I only have one set of clothes."

"What are you wearing now then?" Lupin asked. Orion smiled.

"I, ah, _persuaded_ Sirius to let me transfigure some of his old clothes, and I think Theia talked to either Sarah or Ginny. Magic is a very useful thing, you know?"

"Yes. Pity that the house seems to be actively resisting magical cleaning." Remus said thoughtfully. Orion gave a baleful glance towards Kreacher.

"I suspect he has something to do with that, but since I'm not his Master I can't make him tell me anything. I wonder if Mrs Weasley will try to get me to help in the cleaning, or if I'll be left to research?"

"Research I think…she sent me up here to check on you, since you didn't turn up to breakfast. I assume that has something to do with what you told Sarah last night?"

Orion looked up at Lupin, eyes hooded.

"You're too perceptive for your own good, you know that? Yes, it has all to do with that. I can accept in my mind that all the people I know are dead are alive here, but-"

"But it doesn't help?"  
Orion grimaced.

"Not even remotely. Oh, I'm sure a lot of people, like Malfoy, I won't care about them being alive, and I'm not so bad with some- you, Tonks, Kingsley, even Sirius to an extent- but every time I look at Molly or Ginny or Ron I see what was left of them once it was over…it haunts me more than I ever thought it would."  
Lupin felt that he didn't really want to know, but he was cursed with a need to help people, so he asked the question that might help Orion begin to get over his past.

"How did they die?" he asked, throat dry. Orion sighed, and his voice and expression went empty.

"I'm in the courtyard of Hogwarts castle. Neville has killed Nagini and I've revealed myself to be alive- I'll treasure the look of shock on Voldemort's face for a long time. There's chaos everywhere…I shoot a bonebreaker at the back of Dolohov's head and he goes down limp. Neville waves to me in gratitude. Bellatrix and Voldemort are at the centre of the courtyard. Bella is duelling Hermione, Ginny and Theia while her Master takes on McGonagall, Flitwick and Kingsley. Both are holding their ground, and I start running towards them. Ginny stumbles, Bella goes to take advantage but Molly dives in. She shouts something to Bellatrix, I can't hear it through the noise of my heart beating…Molly manages three exchanges of spells before Bellatrix hits her with an eye-withering hex and follows up with an Eviscerator spell chain-cutter to the wand hand, silencing spell, leg locker curse, a slug vomiting hex and an entrail expelling curse. The world seems to freeze around me as the closest thing to a mother I've ever had collapses…Ginny lunges forwards but Bellatrix hits her with a spell I've never seen before and follows it with a Cruciatus. Ginny collapses, blood is everywhere, bones poking through the skin…the Cruciatus doesn't do that… Bellatrix turns on Hermione, blasts her aside, goes for Theia and I finally act. I jump in, blindside her with a Silencing Hex and hit her with a Sanguinaire combination before she realises what's happening- a blood thinning hex, a Blood-Boiling Curse and a curse that causes tiny cuts all over the body. Bellatrix goes down in a spray of crimson, she'll bleed out in seconds. Voldemort screams in rage, I turn but too late… an overpowered Dark cutting hex slices Kingsley in half. McGonagall gets hit with a curse I can't see and collapses. Flitwick dives out of the way, still hurling curses, but Voldemort hits him with a modified levitating curse that forces him into a cross shape and follows up with a piercing hex to each limb and an asphyxiation curse… a Crucifixion spell chain. Flashy but effective. I'm left facing the Dark Lord as he leers at me and starts to pace…"

Orion snapped out of his trance with a gasp, his eyes widening and nostrils flaring. Sweat beaded on his brow and for an instant a nauseous Lupin thought the young man was about to be sick.

"I'm sorry." Orion offered, smiling weakly. "It's been a while since I've had a flashback that strong."

There was a muffled sob from the doorway and Lupin and Orion whirled to see Sarah, stood next to a pale faced Ginny and Hermione.

"Sod." Orion mumbled, and Lupin understood that this was one of the things he had wanted to avoid.

"Ron's run off to the bathroom, I think." Sarah announced, her face pale but determined.

"Mrs Weasley told us to come and help you research, as well as clean the library with you, Professor. Sirius should be on his way."

Lupin nodded numbly, almost mechanically telling them to call him Remus. Orion's face had settled back into a mask, even if the mask was a little paler than before. Sarah, Hermione and Ginny joined Orion and Lupin at the library table, sitting in silence until Ginny eventually cleared her throat.

"So…how did I…uh, the alternate me, actually die? And McGonagall?"

Orion swung his steel grey eyes onto her and sighed deeply. Clearly he wouldn't be able to leave it now that they had heard some of it.

"McGonagall took a very nasty Flesh-Eating Curse to the face- horrible way to go. The spell that Bellatrix cast on Ginny's alternate was an old one, which causes temporary brittle bone syndrome. In most cases it makes small difference since a night with Skele-gro fixes everything, unpleasant though it might be. However, the Cruciatus causes the muscles to contract and flex violently. When that happened to your alternate-"

"The violent spasms caused every bone in her body to shatter at once." Sarah whispered, looking horrified. Orion nodded.

"It is things like that which make a few of the Death Eaters so dangerous. Most of them rely on the Unforgiveables- sure, those spells are nasty, but the Cruciatus has to be held on a target, the Imperius can be fought off and the Killing Curse can be dodged, not to mention its long incantation. The really dangerous Death Eaters- Bellatrix, Dolohov, Voldemort, a few others will switch to large amounts of spells that are generally considered Dark once they start to duel seriously. After all, in a full on duel _Avada Kedavra_ is six syllables to vocalise, whereas _Reducto_ is three and can be cast silently. As you can probably tell, I'm not above use of spells considered Dark to stay alive."

"The spell combination you used on Bellatrix?" Sarah murmured. Orion nodded.

"Learned it in this library- I used it as a hideout for some time in my Seventh year but all the really Dark books were gone." He said, shifting a pile of books so that they were splayed on the table.

"Oh, don't touch any of the books not in that pile." Orion said, pointing to a cluster of tomes.

"All the rest haven't been checked, might be dangerous."

At that point Sirius walked in.

"Hey, Orion, Remus, Sarah. Has anyone seen Kreacher?"

"He's in that corner." Orion answered, pointing a thumb over his shoulder in an off-hand manner.

"Oh. Stunned?"

"Yep."

Hermione, apparently recovered somewhat from Orion's horror story, squeaked in outrage.

"How could you do that to an innocent-"  
"Kreacher is not an innocent." Orion brusquely cut her off. "Yes, a lot of House-elves are mistreated. Moat aren't, Hermione. Kreacher, in particular at this moment in time, is nasty, unpleasant, downright malicious and extremely bigoted. Given half a chance he'll run to Narcissa- or worse, Bellatrix, once she escapes from Azkaban."  
"You think she'll get out?" Lupin asked worriedly. Orion shrugged.

"In my world Voldemort broke the three Lestranges, Dolohov, Rookwood and Avery out of prison about halfway through my Fifth year. Ministry blamed it on Sirius. Most of them were sent back at the end of the year after the debacle at the Ministry of Magic where my Sirius died, but Voldie broke 'em right out again."

Sirius flinched again at the mention of his counterpart's death, then frowned.

"Will you stop talking about my death? I swear, you're doing it to wind me up."

Orion only gave an enigmatic smile at that accusation, and Sirius continued to speak.

"As well as that, 'Voldie'? Since when has anyone called him Voldie?"

"I get tired of saying Voldemort all the time. Theia said that Peeves came up with it, and I like it. Also, it helped to avoid the Taboo he put on his name during my Seventh Year. Have to wonder at a man like that- he uses an anagram to hide that his real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, but then insists people call him the Dark Lord of those ridiculous hyphenated titles. His mind must be a mess."

"Wouldn't you know, having his memories?" Ginny asked cautiously. Orion shook his head.

"I have his memories of events but not his thoughts. I know what he did, but not why. It's why I actually lack a lot of his knowledge- I only really remember how to do things, I'm not so hot on the theory."

"So," Sirius said, sitting down heavily, "What are we looking for?"

"Exorcism." Orion promptly replied.

"Exorcism?" Sarah echoed. Orion nodded.

"Exorcism. You see, I have a theory as to the ickle bit of soul stuck in your forehead…I think that it's being trapped by the blood protection your mother gave you. Now, the protection can only act by destroying the carrier, but it has to protect the carrier, inducing a paradox that means the protection is only suppressing the shard. That also explains what happened to Professor Quirrel- the protection recognised the soul in him and poured as much of your magic as possible into him, causing him to end up roasted and you magically exhausted. Obviously that's why Voldemort can touch you now- with your blood he inherits the paradoxical protection. Now, the shard being removed is a very good thing for several reasons: Firstly, so long as it's there you have a link to Voldemort. This is bad, since you are each subject to experiencing a certain amount of the others feelings and subconscious desires. However, he knows Occlumency to block them out, you don't. Secondly, the shard is actually supressing your memory somewhat. Once it's gone, you'll become a lot more book smart. Not Hermione book smart, but above average book smart. And thirdly, the protection is draining a portion of your magic to supress the shard. As such, I'm more powerful than you right now. You're still above average, but not so far above average. This isn't helping."

"How far above average are you?" asked Hermione, obviously curious. Orion shrugged.

"Hard to really tell until I- we, rather- mature magically. Thing is, the stronger you are the longer it takes to finally mature. For example, Sirius is considerably above average, and matured when?"  
"Early twenties. Twenty three, I think, though I was in Azkaban at the time."

Sirius promptly replied. Orion nodded.

"Remus is bang on average, and matured at Eighteen I think- a little later than usual. Dumbledore and Voldemort didn't reach their peak until about thirty-three. I can't be sure, but I think I might be at roughly that level- maybe lower."

"You're as powerful as Dumbledore." Hermione said in a tone of flat disbelief. Orion rolled his eyes.

"No. Were you not listening? At seventeen-once I'd got free of the shard- I was as powerful as two ordinary wizards. At nineteen three. At twenty-one four, and assumingly so on. That pattern is indicative of such power, since magic levels act oddly. Right now I'm about as strong as the average wizard, with Sarah maybe a quarter under that. Is that so hard to believe? Remember how fast I learn spells and that Patronus I cast? Hardly the work of a low powered wizard. However, as I said, I won't hit a peak high enough to straight up challenge Voldie until my thirties, by which point he'll have won anyway."

"Um…okay." Sarah said, rebooting her brain in a valiant effort. "So…exorcism?"

Orion shot her a grateful look.

"Yes. I think that the pain you feel in our scar when close to Voldemort or having a vision is the result of the shard trying to…break free, trying to return to the greater piece- a kind of magnetic attraction, if you will. Hopefully an exorcism ritual performed at that point will sever the bonds the shard has with you, making it fly back to Voldie and, with any luck, incapacitating the son of a bitch long enough for you to shoot him in the head."

"Kill him?" Hermione questioned, sounding shocked.

"Yes." Orion replied, voice flat, "Kill him. He isn't going to stop. He's too far gone for redemption. Death is all we can offer him."

Sirius and Lupin nodded in agreement, both having long realised that while the forgiveness Dumbledore preached was all well and good there were some people who were beyond redemption, and too dangerous to be left alive. They sat in silence for a while, riffling through the books that Orion had checked while Sirius was demoted to cleaning the shelves, despite his half-hearted protests. It turned out that he could barely deny a request from one godchild, never mind both Orion _and_ Sarah. The quiet was ended when Hermione absently reached out to a book lying on the table, and received a Stinging Hex to the hand that caused her to jump and yelp.

"What was that for?" she demanded. Orion glared at her.

"I told you not to touch the books I haven't checked!" he snapped. Hermione glowered.

"I was just looking-"

"You look with your eyes not with your hands! And a good thing too because that particular book has a very nasty Flesh-Eating Curse on it!"

Hermione squeaked, and then looked at the book.

"It doesn't look to be cursed…"  
"It has a glamour charm layered with the Curse as a disguise. In fact, I put this in a pile at the back of the library this morning. What's it doing on the table?"

Sarah had a horrible feeling she knew how.

"Kreacher." She said, looking at the corner where the Stunned elf had been lying. Sure enough, it was empty.

"That little sod." Orion said, his reaction mild compared to Sirius' rage.

"I'll wring his neck, the little-"

Orion Silenced Sirius and left him to rant, turning back to Hermione.

"Honestly Hermione, I'm sorry to do that, but it was pretty urgent."

Hermione shook her head.

"It's ok…but, you said you moved it. How?"

"I'm wearing gloves. Also, I used my left hand- any Flesh-Eating Curse on that is a bit redundant. Honestly, I think I could cancel and reverse the Curse if it was cast, but I didn't want to risk anything without knowing what it was. I considered transfiguring something into a fluffy rabbit or adorable puppy and using that as a test subject, but then I remembered that I'm no longer a Dark Lord and that actions like kicking puppies and punching orphans are no longer acceptable."  
Orion, Sarah had noted, had a somewhat dry and dark sense of humour. She appreciated it.

"I'll get Bill to look at it, I think. Better safe than sorry." Orion concluded, as Sirius finally wound down and Lupin stopped laughing at him. All said, Orion carefully picked up the book in his left hand and limped deeper into the library, leaning slightly on his cane.

"I thought that cane was just for effect." Muttered Hermione. "I mean, Wizards can't really be hurt that badly, can they?"  
"Look at Mad-Eye. Potions and magic can't help everything. Besides, I bet he can move pretty quickly if he needs to." Ginny pointed out. Sirius, calmer now, nodded.

"Probably uses a numbing Charm when he absolutely has to, and manages the rest of the time."

"That is indeed what I do." Said a returned Orion.

"In theory, I could have to bones vanished and regrown, but that isn't certain to work and would be rather painful. Also, everyone underestimates a cripple- look at how many people underestimated Mad-Eye in the last war. Besides, it gives me an excuse to carry a weapon."

"A weapon? That cane? Does it have a sword inside it?" Sirius asked, excited. Lupin rolled his eyes at his friend, and then laughed as Orion smacked the man on the head with his cane.

"Nope. But people seem to forget that a stick is still a stick. And I can transfigure it if I need to. I've been duelling left handed for years anyway- I broke my right hand about Christmas time in my Seventh Year and had to learn. Made it much easier to go into battle with the Sword of Gryffindor in one hand."

There was a long pause, then Sirius put his hands on Orion's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"You do realise," the Marauder started soberly, before a massive grin broke out on his face, "That every word you say makes you even cooler?"  
"I do my best." Orion replied cheerfully.

"Great. Now I've been outshone in front of my own Godfather." Sarah said dryly. Orion grinned briefly.

"By a cripple no less. You could just consider me an awesome older brother figure?"

"Meh. Maybe. What would that entail?"

"Mostly me hanging around and threatening potential love interests." Orion said, unfortunately setting Sirius off again.

"Wait…" Sirius said slowly. "Theia and you…there's something going on there, right?"

Orion just blinked at him, apparently too surprised to answer. Undeterred, Sirius continued.

"And there's an alternate version of Theia in Ginny's year? You know what that means?"

Lupin realised too late what Sirius was about to say.

" _Twins,_ Orion. The ultimate expression of manliness! To be-"  
Sirius was cut off by a Stinging Hex that hit his leg, perilously close to his thigh. The dog Animagus promptly shifted form and hid under the table, although his rather bear-like form made that difficult. Orion lowered his wand.

"One, that's quite perverted, Sirius. Two, be glad I got that it and not Sarah, Ginny or Hermione, who would be harsher than Stinging Hexes and probably not aim slightly off out of pity. And third…have you met Theia, man? Are you trying to kill me?"

Sarah, Ginny and Hermione laughed, while Lupin gave a brief chuckle after his instinctive cringe as Sirius finished his sentence, but the laughter was cut off by a truly evil light entering Orion's eyes.

"Say, Sarah…do you act towards Draco Malfoy like I did? Arguments, threats, exchanges of hexes and so on?"

"Um, yes. Why."

The grin on Orion's face would have put Voldemort to shame.

"Why, because that sounds a lot like there's something unresolved behind that, if you know what I mean…you aren't secretly lusting after him, are you?"

"WHAT? No!" Sarah yelped. Orion nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm, yes, he does seem more like the unrequited love, stalker type. Maybe that's why he always seemed to know where I was…in any case, are you _sure_ you have no interest in him?"

"Absolutely. Why are you so interested in this anyway?"  
Orion, still wearing his smile, slung an arm around Sarah's shoulders.

"Why, because as your pseudo big brother I'm required to deliver the traditional threats to any suitor you may have. And should those threats devolve into bone breaking and mental scarring, well…"

"I have a Dark Lord as an over-protective big brother." Sarah deadpanned.

"There goes my love life."

* * *

 **Read and Review, it does help if mistakes are pointed out. As ever, hope you enjoyed it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **I don't own Harry Potter**

 **Incidentally, ~ _Words_ ~ marks Parseltongue. Not sure who first came up with that, but I'm grateful to them.**

* * *

"And on that revelation," said a genial voice from the doorway, "perhaps I might intrude?"

Sarah glanced at the doorway to see a gently smiling Dumbledore, dressed today in sober- for him- purple robes with the Sword of Gryffindor strapped to his side.

"If, perhaps, I could talk to Orion, Sarah and Sirius alone?" requested the old man. Lupin nodded slowly, and walked out. Both Hermione and Ron looked torn between protesting and their respect for the Headmaster, but Sarah ushered them out, with Ginny following.

"We aren't going to tell them?" Sirius asked, looking at Sarah as Theia followed Dumbledore in and sat next to Orion.

"You may if you wish, Sarah," Dumbledore said, "But it may be best not to make them aware of the full extent of Voldemort's darkness."

Sarah looked at Orion, who shrugged.

"I told my Ron and Hermione, but bear in mind that I had no idea where most of the Horcruxes were and my Dumbledore only had guesses. It was a good thing that they knew, I suppose. How long had you been listening, Headmaster?"

"Most of the conversation." Dumbledore smiled. Orion clicked his tongue.

"So, what did you think of my plan to help Sarah?"

Dumbledore's smile turned to a slight frown.

"I believe it to be plausible, if dangerous. Of course, given that the only other choice we know of is to allow Sarah to be struck by a Killing Curse it would be best to at least attempt your plan first."

"Yes, true. We'll need you to distract Voldemort while I cast the spell, probably. However, I daresay that you aren't here to talk about Sarah?"

"No. No, I noticed that you did not actually mention how you destroyed the Horcruxes, but a little thought on how you destroyed the Diary led me to believe that the Sword of Gryffindor has become imbued with Basilisk venom, and so is suitable for destroying the Horcruxes. And you said there was a Locket in this house?"

"Yes. Congratulations on working that out, Headmaster. Assuming that things in this world proceeded as they did in mine- a reasonable assumption, since most things seem to be the same or rather similar- and further assuming that Kreacher hasn't stolen and hidden it, we should be able to destroy one more piece of Voldemort's soul today. Shall we?"

Dumbledore nodded, and they left with Orion limping at the back, Dumbledore and Sirius leading. Sarah dropped back and leaned across to Orion.

"Did you not mention the sword so that we would work it out ourselves? Like a test?" she asked curiously, though she suspected that she knew the actual truth. Solidifying her theory, Orion blinked and his eyes shifted uneasily before he spoke.

"Yes. Yes, that's right-"

"You forgot, didn't you?" Sarah interrupted. Orion winced.

"'Forgot' is such a damning term. I'd prefer…well, there's no alternative, really. Yes, I forgot to mention it. But it showed that Dumbledore can still manage, which is good. After all, things will change because Theia and I are here now, which will make my future knowledge…alternate world future knowledge, at that- basically useless."

"Damn you and your logic."

"Technically it's your logic as well, given that we're fundamentally the same person."

"I was trying to ignore that mildly creepy fact. Thank you for reminding me of it, Orion."

"You're welcome. Now, I think we have a piece of evil soul to destroy?"

"Probably." Sarah mumbled as the group entered a dark and gloomy drawing room. Orion headed towards a cabinet against one wall, pressing his gloved left hand against the glass.

"This is it. We were cleaning out this cabinet, and we threw the locket out. Good thing Kreacher rescued it, really, but then Mundungus stole it after Sirius died and sold it to a most unpleasant Ministry worker. Ron, Hermione and I had to break into the Ministry to recover it. You might want to remember that as well Sirius- you might not like most of what's in this house, but it's worth more than what Mundungus will get for it once he's nicked anything that isn't nailed down."

"Good to know." Sirius said dourly, as Orion heaved open the cabinet doors and Dumbledore cast a complex locking and privacy charm on the door, so they would not be interrupted. Orion considered the contents of the cupboard, and then sighed and started to dump it into a bag that he had pulled from a pocket.

"A rubbish bag? You're quite well organised, aren't you?" Sirius said, impressed. Orion squirmed.

"Actually Theia gave it to me yesterday. Said I'd need it."

All eyes turned to the serenely watching Theia, who gave the briefest shrug.

"It came in useful didn't it?"

"Scary." Sarah subvocalized. Orion gave her a minute nod, then gestured for her to help him unload the cabinet. It was filled with items that were almost all of an unpleasant nature: a silver snuffbox that Orion warned them not to open, as it bit and was filled with what he said was Wartcap powder; a pair of silver tweezer-like items that were more like a spider and attempted to attack Sarah until Sirius smashed them with a book; a set of photos that Sirius promptly declared the most evil things in the cabinet, even including the fragment of Voldemort's soul, and a music box that Orion refused to go near until Theia tied it shut and threw it into the bag.

"What was so bad about the box?" Sarah asked, amused. Orion shuddered.

"It's evil." He replied. Nonplussed, Sarah looked to Theia, who happily elaborated.

"It plays haunting and tinkling music that terrifies Orion." She said happily, causing Orion to sigh.

"Also, let's not forget that the music saps the will and induces a sleepiness in the victims. That thing is evil." He said, trying to defend himself. Sirius laughed at him, and Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. Orion scowled before leaning into the cupboard and pulling out a heavy gold locket.

"Aha!" he said triumphantly, a moment before a small figure crashed into him and sent him toppling. Orion's shriek- _manly_ shriek, he would later insist- was drowned out by the cries of a near hysterical Kreacher, who was trying to wrest the locket from Orion. Unfortunately for the House-Elf, Orion had picked it up in his silver, and abnormally strong, left hand, meaning that the Elf's efforts were wasted. Sirius wasted no time in hauling Kreacher off the now swearing Orion and letting Theia pull the silver-handed man to his feet.

"Bloody manic Elf!" Orion cursed, over the inarticulate screams of Kreacher.

"Shut up! We're trying to destroy the locket you idiot!" yelled Sirius, completely ignored by Kreacher, who was raving incoherently about 'Master Regulus' and spicing the babbling with curses-regular ones, not magical- aimed towards everyone else in the room- quite colourful curses at that. Orion shook his head.

" _Petrificus Totalus!"_ he snapped, pointing his wand, and Kreacher froze. For a moment Sirius was so still that Sarah feared Orion had hit him as well, but then he moved away from the House-Elf.

"Now, if you'll listen," Orion said, in a tone that suggested that violence would follow if Kreacher did not listen, "I know what this locket is, and I want to destroy it, not take it away. Sirius knows what his brother did, and we all agree that Regulus was bloody brave for defying Voldemort. So, I'm not going to let you free because frankly I don't trust you, but you can watch. Headmaster?"

Dumbledore drew the Sword of Gryffindor and offered it to Sirius.

"As it was your brother that retrieved this locket, I think it only right that you be the one to destroy it." The old man said solemnly. Sirius, awed, took the blade and stood over the locket.

"Now," Orion said, "I'll tell the locket to open in Parseltongue and pull it open. Strike immediately, Sirius- the locket will attempt to defend itself using persuasion and illusion. In my world Ron destroyed this, but it took five minutes and there was more than one moment when I thought I'd have to tackle him and do it myself."

Sirius nodded, and Orion knelt down on the other side of the locket, placing his hands on the latch.

~ _Open~_ he whispered, the soft hiss in his voice only just audible to Sarah. The latch of the locket snapped open, and Orion pried open the small door and flung himself away. Sarah stared in sick fascination as the small door opened, and, rather than a mirror or picture hidden inside the locket, a single brown eye, streaked with crimson, blinked up at them.

"Sirius Black…" hissed a soft, menacing voice.

"Stab it!" screamed Orion, sounding afraid for a moment. Sirius looked down, eyes wide as though he looked into an abyss only he could see, then his face screwed up and the Sword of Gryffindor swept down, point first. The locket gave an awful scream of rage and terror as the sword pierced it, and a howling black cloud poured from the violated metal, screeching around them for a terrible instant before the scream turned to a high pitched wail and the cloud faded, leaving the group pale faced and panting.

"You destroyed seven of these?" Sarah gasped, looking at Orion. Orion still looked shaken.

"Not seven, more like four. And I had help. Not all of them put up that kind of fight, thankfully. The Diadem and the Cup were just hard to reach."

Sirius was still standing but bent over, leaning heavily on the hilt of Gryffindor's Sword, his eyes oddly blank.

"Sirius?" Dumbledore asked warily, and the Animagus seemed to shake himself.

"Sorry. Just…it just hit me, what Regulus did. Destroying that thing…"

"Avenging the memory of your brother is not a light task." Theia opined. Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"You should take the Sword back, Headmaster. The Diadem is at Hogwarts, hidden inside the Room of requirement. In order to access the Room you must go to the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy on the seventh floor, and walk past it three times while thinking of what you need, in this case the room where things are hidden. The Diadem is atop a bust somewhere in the room, I can't remember where exactly, but it did not appear to have any defences upon it when I destroyed it. That said, it was destroyed when Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy followed me, Ron, Hermione and Theia into the Room and Crabbe used the Fiendfyre spell before losing control of it. Pity that I could only save Malfoy…or perhaps a pity that he was the one I saved."

Surprisingly, Dumbledore made no comment on that last, rather cynical, statement, but Theia slapped the back of Orion's head and frowned at him. The Headmaster dispelled the spells he had placed upon the door and gently retrieved the sword from the now slack grasp of Sirius, bestowing a smile upon them and walking away.

"Not even a goodbye." Orion commented, before glancing worriedly at Sirius. The Animagus was still looking blank, and Orion clapped him on the back and rested his hand on the older man's shoulder.

"That's it done, Sirius. Come on, we'd be better off leaving this room for now. Kreacher?"

Now with the Body-Bind spell dispelled, the House-Elf was silent and oddly respectful as he inclined his head to the young man, before snapping his fingers and vanishing with a soft crack.

"So that's how he got past the spells before. Come on Sirius, to the kitchen. Tea, the universal comforter."

"Uh, yeah." Sirius said, managing to respond to Orion as the four of them made their way to the kitchen. Somehow the house seemed lighter already, and Theia remarked on it, theorising that the presence of the Horcrux had affected the house and, by extension, Kreacher. Orion simply shrugged when Sarah looked at him questioningly, though he did offer that in his world the house had only become nicer after the Horcrux had been stolen by Mundungus Fletcher. Sarah was starting to think that the phrase 'Magic is illogical. Weird stuff happens' would soon become her guiding sentence. Given what had happened over the past few years that might be a useful thing to adopt, actually. The only person in the kitchen was Molly Weasley, who looked at them in worry as they shambled in, noticeably ruffled.

"A Dark artifact we found while cleaning." Sarah offered smoothly. "Destroyed now, but it put up some…resistance. Nothing to worry about, Mrs Weasley."

Orion nodded as he slid past Molly and began making tea, waving aside her protests. The grey-eyed dimension traveller then set the tea before Sirius, who seemed to be coming out of his thoughts and actually seemed more cheerful.

"The artifact might have been affecting him as well, hard to tell. It affected people who were close to it when I was trying to destroy it, I know that." Orion said in a low tone, leaning close to Sarah so that Molly couldn't hear.

"So, how is the cleaning going, Mrs Weasley?" Orion eventually asked, breaking the silence that had settled in the kitchen. Molly frowned.

"Oh, well enough, dear. I think we can manage, though if Kreacher would do more- or anything, actually-"

"Kreacher should begin helping soon." Theia said dreamily. "The artifact we destroyed had an unusually high concentration of Nargles around it, Kreacher must have been affected…"

Molly and Sirius looked utterly bemused, while Orion and Sarah, more used to the odd manner that Theia- and in Sarah's case, Ginny's friend Luna- sometimes affected, laughed at the two adults.

"Oh, once we reach Hogwarts, I hope Theia gets into Ravenclaw. Her being in the same house as Luna would be a riot." Sarah commented. Orion looked horrified.

"Or cause one." He mumbled. Theia smiled at them both.

"Maybe. I think it might be useful for my alternate self to have a friend in her own house. I only really had Ginny while I was there…"

"We'll help her, Theia. Personally I think Slytherin might be interesting. For a while, a least."

"The Hat wouldn't put you in Slytherin. I think the strong chance of the House ending up with you as the only living resident will dissuade it."

"Ah, true enough. Probably Gryffindor then, I'm not smart enough for Ravenclaw."

"Not Hufflepuff? After all, you risked a trip through time and space to help me- I'd say that shows loyalty." Sarah teased. Orion continued to smile.

"And yet you are essentially me, which makes it self-preservation, not loyalty. Plus, I was motivated to take the jump by the prospect of a closer acquaintanceship with the tender affections of the Dementors."

"Keep telling yourself that." Sarah returned, smiling. Sirius groaned out loud.

"I don't believe it. It's like having another set of Weasley twins- God must have a grievance against me."

"Says the Marauder who's never grown up." Sarah muttered, and Sirius shrugged.

"I'm only nominally the adult here. Why do you think there are almost always Order members visiting? They just don't trust me. Not that I can blame them."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at Sirius, and turned to Orion.

"So, you're supposed to teach me this Occlumency. What is it, exactly?"

"Occlumency," Orion said, "Is the art of protecting your mind, specifically from the magical art of Legilimency, which allows a form of 'mind-reading', though any practitioner will insist that it isn't mind-reading. A master of Legilimency can catch surface thoughts from an unguarded mind without any words, which is how Voldemort likes to duel. Your unique connection with Voldemort also causes your dreams to…bleed…into one another's, and Voldemort could also send you false visions if he tried. That's how he lured me to the Ministry at the end of my fifth year."

Sarah absorbed all that and then nodded.

"So how do I do it?"

Orion clicked his tongue.

"There are a couple of ways, but the one I'm best with is the formation of a barrier, of sorts. The easiest way is to pick one memory, focus on it so that it is all the Legilimencer 'sees'. Once you've mastered that you can move onto projecting a blank 'wall' for the attacker- just be sure that the memory is as neutral as possible." Orion said, complete with finger-quotes placed around words. Sarah nodded silently, beginning to consider what memory she should use, one that would give a potential attacker nothing to use against her.

"Is that how you learned?" Sirius asked, looking at Orion curiously. Orion shook his head.

"No, ironically enough, that method comes from Voldemort's memories. No, my 'lessons' with Snape consisted of the phrase 'Clear you mind!' and a full force attack. It was…not very effective. Luckily, Voldemort stooped trying after he tried to possess me and almost sent himself insane. More insane. Incompatible viewpoints, see?"

"Not really, but I'll take your word for it. How are you going to test Sarah?"

"I can perform Legilimency well enough to check her mind, once we've hit high enough we can get Dumbledore to do it. Not Snape, I just don't trust him to do what's good for Sarah. That unrequited crush on Lily Potter is just creepy, you know?"

Sarah, who had been absently taking a sip of tea, choked.

"Snape had a crush on my mother?" she hissed, staring at Orion.

"Ah." Orion said, flushing. "I probably shouldn't have said that."

Sarah narrowed her eyes and glared at Orion, who cringed slightly.

"Tell me." Sarah demanded. Orion shuffled in his seat, clearly uncomfortably aware that he was sat directly next to Sarah.

"You should just tell her." Theia commented. "Otherwise she'll hurt you, and you'll tell her eventually anyway."

"Well, that's true. Alright. Basically, it's a long story, but while Snape was busy dying from being mauled by Voldemort's pet snake-"

"It was one bite." Theia said. Orion glared at her.

"But mauled sounds better. Now, Snape was both bleeding out and dying from poison, and there was no way I was able or even inclined to help him, when he gave me a bunch of memories- I didn't even know that was possible. In any case, when I viewed the memories they were mostly of him and Lily, during their childhood. It has to be said, the Marauders were really unpleasant to Snape. Not that he didn't deserve it, but it was pretty immature."

Sarah looked at Sirius, who shrugged.

"He isn't wrong. We were pretty nasty to Snape- not that I regret it. He was just as bad right back."

"Moving on, after five years of tit-for-tat Snape snapped and called Lily a mudblood, which pretty much put the boot into their friendship, after which Snape joined the Death Eaters and James got over being an immature prick. Snape then found out that Voldemort wanted you, and by extension Lily, dead, and so he ran to Dumbledore and has been racked with guilt over his failure ever since."

Sarah blinked, took time to absorb all of that, and then scowled.

"There's something you aren't telling me, isn't there?"  
Orion laughed.

"Oh, absolutely. Don't worry, once you manage to master Occlumency to a reasonable degree I'll tell you the rest. Don't want to chance you sharing a dream with Voldemort and spilling all our secrets."

"Uh, ok. Anything else you'd like to share?"

"Not that I can think of…unless you'd like to learn how to duel?"

Sarah looked at him in utter silence for several long minutes.

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to lean to duel!"

"Then we'll do that as well. Sirius, you helping?"

The Marauder shrugged.

"Sure. Once we get enough of the bottom floor cleared up and knock some walls down we can start learning there."

"Learning what?" Ron asked as he shambled into the room, covered in dust and looking grumpy. Sarah raised an eyebrow at him.

"How to eavesdrop on full conversations rather than walking in half way through one?"

"Oh, very funny. What are you really trying to learn?"

"Duelling. Specifically, duelling for your lives against Death Eaters. Fun times, eh?" Orion chipped in. Ron shrugged.

"Sure. Is there anything to eat? I'm starving."

"Are you ever not starving?" Sarah asked. Ron shrugged.

"Not that I can remember." Ron replied cheerfully, as Molly Weasley plunked a platter of sandwiches on the table and he dug in at a remarkable speed. Theia, Sarah noticed, was watching in fascination. Orion sighed.

"Theia, Ron is not playing host to any kind of mythological magical creature." He said. Theia spared him a brief glance and then went back to watching Ron, who was still eating, entirely incognisant of the calculating stare being levelled upon him.

"But his huge appetite, his sometimes odd behaviour…maybe some sort of parasite that provokes jealousy?"

"I don't think those exist, Theia." Orion tried, only for the blonde girl to cut his reply down.

"Given that you have often argued that it is ridiculous, in a world with such generally mythical creatures such as Dragons and Centaurs, to dismiss the existence of a creature out of hand, your argument falls flat, Orion."

Orion frowned, and receded into silence as Theia continued to stare, now with Sirius and Molly joining her to stare at the entirely unaware Ron. Sarah leaned across to Orion.

"You said those things about mythical creatures in the past to support her, didn't you?"

Orion nodded, and Sarah smiled.

"How sweet. Have you ever actually won an argument with her?"

"Not one. I don't think anyone ever has, it used to drive Hermione insane. Shall we go and do some more cleaning? I'll lend you my wand, it's Trace free."

"All practice is good practice?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow. Orion grinned slightly.

"Something like that."

"You don't really know what you're doing, do you?"

"No. I figure you can use _Scourgify_ to clean off all the muck, anything jumps out at us we go with 'Kill it with fire' and use _Incendio_ and if that doesn't work we run for it."

"You are awful at planning, really. How have you lived this long?"

"A combination of blind luck, moments that strongly resemble _Deus ex machine,_ the helping hand of insanity and close friendships with two girls who have a knack for planning."

"It's worrying that you have such a ready answer, you know that?" Sarah remarked as they walked into the largest room, filled with blocky furniture.

"I know. But these things do happen. The only problem we might run into is if there's a Boggart or something, I don't know my greatest fear and I'd like it to stay that way." Orion said, passing Sarah his redwood wand. She was surprised at how comfortable it felt to use, although given that Orion was her alternate maybe it wasn't that surprising.

"How can you not know your own greatest fear?" she questioned, in between casting the _Scourgify_ spell and sweeping the wand over the dusty room. Orion's answer was slow in coming, as though he was thinking carefully about it.

"It sounds odd, doesn't it? But when you have faced horrors, when you find yourself driven past the edge of insanity, when you have more than one thing that you truly dread…for instance, which do you thing frightens me more, the prospect of losing Theia or the thought of returning to who I was, to the man the Ministry called Dark Lord Lament? An impossible question, and I truly fear to see the answer."

Sarah went quiet at that, thinking it over. It was logical, she admitted, and she suddenly wondered if her Boggart would no longer be a Dementor, but rather the image of Cedric Diggory, cold and pale at the feet of the serpentine Lord Voldemort. After all, she had long mastered the Patronus charm, the response to the Dementors. A shudder passed through her, and she glanced around to see the knowing expression Orion now wore.

"You see? The Boggart appears as your greatest fear, but who is to say that a person can have only one greatest fear?"

Sarah had no question to that philosophical inquiry, and so silently returned to cleaning the room.

Later that night, as she walked towards her bed, Sarah heard low voices coming from the library. Stealthy on soft feet, Sarah crept up to the library door and listened in. The easily recognisable tones of Orion were the first she heard, with the softer voice of Theia replying.

"Are you going to tell her the Prophecy?" Theia asked.

"Of course. She just needs to be able to protect her mind enough first…it would not do to have the words of the Prophecy bleed into Voldemort's dreams."

"Mm. And…are you keeping this from her just for the sake of the plan, or for Sarah's sake?" Theia asked. The words seemed to strike a chord in Orion, because his reply was sharp.

"What do you mean by that, Theia?"

"You know what I mean, Orion. You insist that you do not need any emotional crutch, or any anchor to keep your…darker…impulses in check, but I notice that you seem rather protective of Sarah."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Orion shot back. Sarah could practically hear the smile in Theia's voice.

"Oh Orion, you need to be less suspicious. It hurt me to see you break yourself away from what was left of your friends and family at your trial. I'm glad to see you going back to the person you were."

Orion sighed.

"That might be true. Theia…if it were not for you, I would still be lost in madness or stuck in Azkaban. Without you-"

Sarah peeked around the corner, just in time to see Theia lean forward and silence Orion with a soft kiss.

"I'm not going to leave you, Orion. You're all I have left as much as I am all you have left." She said gently, the last words Sarah heard as she crept away, somehow feeling guilty for intruding on such a private moment, even though she had stayed unheard and unseen.

* * *

 **Well, it's been quite a bit since the last update- my apologies, I got caught in a rut in the story. Still, things are moving along again, so enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I don't own Harry Potter. Not even a little bit.

* * *

It was three days later that Sarah, Ron and Hermione found themselves facing Orion across a cleared room, with a grinning Lupin and Sirius and a faintly smiling Theia watching from the sidelines. Orion had persuaded an Order member to let him go on a shopping trip to Diagon Alley- either that or just sneaked out- and bought new clothes as well as three 'blank' wands, that did not have the Trace on them but also lacked the ability to personalise themselves to their user. He thought that the Fidelius would neutralise the Trace on their usual wands, but had decided to err on the side of caution. When Sarah asked where Orion had got them he had just given an annoyingly enigmatic smile, though he had revealed how he and Theia had been able to set up two Gringotts accounts and pay for their purchases- they had looted all the accounts they had had in their old world and brought the gold with them in shrunken and lightened trunks. Sarah hefted the wand she was using a little uncomfortably- it didn't feel as easy to use as her own or even Orions, but it would do.

"Remember, no damaging or fatal spells- none of us are great at healing. Orion, I'm talking to you." Theia said, causing Orion to roll his eyes. Sarah, Ron and Hermione raised their wands in preparation, and Orion started to grin.

"Begin." Theia said mildly, and all of them started moving.

" _Stupefy!"_ shouted Sarah, the first one to react. Orion flicked his wand, causing a shimmering shield, the basic _Protego_ Sarah thought, to flicker into existence and absorb the red Stunning spell. Hermione and Ron followed with their own Stunners, but Orion dodged one and conjured a thin ceramic plate to protect himself from the other, causing the plate to shatter and a layer of reddish dust to drift to the ground and stain the air. Sarah and her two friends continued to rain spells upon Orion, whose ability to dodge was noticeably hampered by his limp, although the silver-handed man made good use of his greater abilities, conjuring a large number of ceramic plates to block the spells. Dust formed a shifting screen and thick layer on the ground, until Ron and Hermione slowed their casting speed noticeably. Sarah saw Orion grin again, and threw up a _Protego_ shield on instinct. Orion shouted an incantation, and a strong gust of wind churned the layer of dust into a blinding, choking cloud that blew over his three opponents, followed fast by several Stunning spells. Hermione was fast enough to bring up her own shield, but Ron was hit and collapsed, out of the fight. Sarah turned, desperately casting shield spells, only her reflexes keeping her and Hermione safe, as her only warning being the flicker of red before the spells lanced towards them- Orion had gone back to casting silently.

"Dispel the dust!" Sarah screamed at Hermione, who moved her wand in a motion Sarah vaguely recognised and shouted the incantation,

" _Ventus!"_

The gust of wind blew the dust away from them, but Orion was nowhere to be seen. He must be using that Disillusionment Charm, Sarah realised, and racked her brain for what she knew about it. A flicker in the air alerted her, and she cast a Stunning spell and shield charm on instinct, but Hermione was the target and a Full-Body Bind curse toppled her. Sarah gritted her teeth, knowing that trying to release her friend would just leave her open to attack. She needed some way to find Orion…and idea came to her.

" _Ventus!"_ she shouted, casting the same spell Hermione had and causing the dust to cover most of the room, including the figure of Orion, now marked by a veil of red scattered across his shoulders and head. Sarah wasted no time in barraging him with Stunning and Disarming spells, but Orion was able to bring up a powerful shield to block them all. Her final spell sailed at him as he dropped the shield, but he simply leaned to one side and let the spell pass as he cast back, aloud for once.

" _Langlock! Locomotor Mortis! Auguamenti! Conglacior!"_

As the spells hit her Sarah felt her tongue glue itself to the roof of her mouth, and her legs snap together. The last two spells were cast as she fell, the water producing spell aimed at her arms as she hit the ground. The final spell caused the water to freeze, sticking her to the ground and effectively immobilising her. Orion finished by Summoning her wand, before walking across and freeing all three of them to the slow clapping from Sirius and Lupin.

Sarah stood up, shuddering at the wetness of her clothes until Orion dried them with a simple charm and handed her back her wand.

"You were holding back, weren't you?" she asked. Orion pulled a face and shrugged.

"A bit. To be honest, I'm not great when forced to be…non damaging, so not as much as you'd think." He admitted. Sarah nodded slowly.

"That…actually makes sense. What was that last spell you used?"

" _Conglacior?_ It makes water freeze when directed properly. It's pretty much just a guide for the intent, I could probably have done the same by saying 'Freeze' in Parseltongue or even English. Magic, happily, isn't Latin exclusive. It's just that, by the time you can use magic _without_ Latin you generally don't need words at all."

"You learn wordless casting during your sixth year don't you?" Hermione asked. Theia nodded.

"Yes. Unless you're like Orion, who was almost useless at it during most of his Sixth year."

Orion nodded gloomily.

"That's true. Not that I appreciated Theia's method for teaching me wordless magic."

"Oh?" Sarah questioned. Orion frowned.

"A silencing spell on my mouth. Long-lasting and renewed regularly, and I had to get rid of it myself- Theia somehow managed to get all my friends to agree not to help and I wasn't going to ask anyone else, even if I could. Took me almost a week to get rid of it."

"But it was worth it." Theia said serenely, as Sirius, Lupin and Ron laughed in the background. Orion shrugged.

"Well, possibly. I suppose I did learn to cast silently pretty well. Maybe we should try that with Ron." He suggested. Sarah considered it. She definitely wanted to learn to cast spells silently, it seemed like an invaluable skill, but perhaps with a less…extreme method. Ron was still laughing, though…no. Probably not worth it.

"So, if you're supposed to be teaching duelling, what are you teaching?" Sarah asked. Orion smiled.

"Mainly some more…effective spells like blasting spells, also trying to get you three to realise that a chain of three different spells can be better than ' _Stupefy Stupefy Stupefy'._ Being predictable is the bane of most duellists, and it's what the Death Eaters mostly are. Though I think we'd be best off leaving the more advanced spells until we reach Hogwarts and you can use your proper wands…"

"If you do that we'll have to work around Umbridge and her Decrees." Theia said quietly. Orion shrugged.

"She isn't bright enough to be that much of a problem. We out-thought her more than once in our original Fifth Year, managing now shouldn't be so hard. Especially if we actually use our brains- half of the trouble we got into with her originally was because we were stupid."

"Well, you aren't wrong. The Weasley twins used their heads and they didn't get caught until they wanted to."

"Was one hell of an exit though." Orion said. Theia smiled.

"It was at that. We'll have to see if we can get a Pensieve to show the memory with."

"Maybe. Unless they do the same thing this year. Is that likely, do you think?"

"If Dumbledore is forced out somehow, perhaps. But perhaps we should get back to teaching rather than reminiscing?"

"Hmm? Right, yes. Distraction!" Orion announced brightly. Everyone stared blankly at him, though Sarah suspected that there was amusement in Theia's silvery eyes. Orion was silent for a moment, then jerked his wand. A bright light flashed from the tip, and Sarah flinched, automatically bringing up a _Protego_ shield and hearing two thumps from beside her- Ron and Hermione, probably. Her vision recovered from the flash and she glared at Orion- as she had suspected, Ron and Hermione were lying flat on the floor, Stunned again.

"Good reflexes." He commented idly. "The Death Eaters won't be sporting, and you shouldn't either. There is something to Moody's motto after all."

Sarah sighed and revived Ron and Hermione, who looked somewhat disgruntled at being knocked down twice in short succession, but made no comment on it. Orion seemed to be thinking, and Sarah, thinking about his distraction comment, realised there was something she needed to ask.

"Orion? How are you and Theia going to explain the two of you suddenly appearing at Hogwarts? I don't think you can just tell the truth."

Orion glanced at her and shrugged.

"Partly this ties into what I said about distraction. Theia and I are both using different means-"

"I'm going to tell the truth." Theia said happily. Sarah stared blankly at her, along with almost everyone else in the room.

"Tell the truth?" Hermione eventually managed. Theia nodded.

"I'll just tell everyone that I'm Luna Lovegood from another world." She supplied. Sarah did her best, but all her objections somehow got jammed behind a barrier of incredulity. Eventually Orion took pity on her.

"In a way it works- refuge in audacity. You see, the Lovegoods are all known for being somewhat eccentric, and most people will assume that Theia is a relative of Luna who is just being odd. And if they think she's being truthful, what does it matter? The method we used to move between worlds isn't something anyone could repeat."

Sarah managed to choke down the initial response she had, and conceded that the plan might work. That left Orion, however.

"What about you? Who will you pretend to be?" she asked. Orion smiled, a wide, genuine look, edged with wicked glee. As he stood there his hair lengthened, turned black, his face shifting slightly to become more angular.

"Allow me to introduce myself." He said through his smile, "Arcturus Orion Argent, illegitimate son of Sirius Black, at your service."

The complete silence that followed was broken by a bark of laughter from Sirius. Lupin looked utterly despairing, and Sarah sighed.

"You're insane, you know that?"  
"I've long suspected it. However, you have to admit that it's a good cover. It explains why I know you- all I have to say is that I lived with my mother who home-schooled me until she recently died, I've never met my father, and I've spent the summer with your guardians. Mostly true, as well."

"The Ministry might quite like to get their hands on the child of the 'notorious murderer' Sirius Black." Sarah pointed out, and Orion rolled his eyes.

"No doubt, but they have to obey their own rules. Unless they have a concrete reason for doing something to me, I'll be fine."

"I'm fairly sure that those have been last words of a great many people." Sarah commented dryly. Sirius frowned.

"Don't you mean famous last words?"

"No. Because no-one would ever really hear them. Logic, Sirius."

"Wizard, remember. Logic is a myth to them." Orion pointed out. "Which is why my plan will probably work, because they don't have the logic or the common sense to check properly."

Sarah had to admit, Orion had a point there. The two of them might not have the best cover identities, but it would probably be enough. And, she thought, Orion would probably enjoy terrorising the school as the son of Sirius Black as much as Theia would enjoy bamboozling people. It was worrying how much she was looking forward to seeing the reactions of the people at Hogwarts to Orion and Theia, but Sarah put it out of her mind as Orion switched places with Theia and Sarah, Ron and Hermione were duelling again.

Over the next few days Sarah found her time split between practicing Occlumency, learning to duel and helping to clean up the house. Sarah had to admit, neither was as hard as she thought. Cleaning the house was, with the grudging assistance of Kreacher, far less onerous, and duelling was quite enjoyable even if she, Ron and Hermione had barely managed to hold their own against Orion or Theia. The two of them, Sarah noticed, had quite distinct duelling styles. Orion had a style that Sarah suspected had once been similar to her own, fast and agile, but he was hampered by his limp and so resorted to distractions: any duel with Orion in it quickly became an arena of smoke, fog and ceramic dust through which the limping man slipped, launching fast and powerful combinations of spells, while Theia tended to be more unpredictable- Sarah had never dreamed _Scourgify_ could be used quite so effectively, poor Ron- and imaginative. Oddly enough, Hermione had a lot more trouble with either Orion or Theia than Ron or Sarah- the odd combinations used by Theia left Hermione hard-pressed to counter, and while Orion's more orthodox spell repertoire was easier for her to counter, the greater disparity in power levels often led to Orion simply overwhelming Hermione with a barrage of spells. Sarah and Ron, both faster on their feet and more powerful than Hermione, managed better, though Sarah, with her lightning reflexes, was almost always the last one of the trio left standing. Occlumency, however, wasn't going as well. Orion seemed to have little trouble breaking through her memory barrier, but Theia had suggested that it might be more to do with the fact that they were practically the same person, the same mind, that was aiding Orion. They had to confess to being stumped as to what to do, other than to keep practicing and hope. The day that the Hogwarts letters were brought to them found the three of them in the library, searching out new spells that might help them. Hermione, in particular, was working with fervour- she was convinced that Orion was using some spell to see through the clouds of obscuring smoke and dust his duelling style kicked up, but when questioned all he gave was an enigmatic grin. As it happened, it was Orion who strolled through the door and dumped three letters on the table they were sat around.

"McGonagall brought them." He said in explanation. Sarah nodded, pulling hers over to her and opening it. The book list was much as she had expected from this year, but she suspected that she would have to ask Mrs Weasley to buy some of the books in Diagon Alley- Sarah doubted she would be let out there on her own. Sarah was distracted by a yelp of delight from Hermione, as a heavy badge fell from the other girl's letter.

"A Prefect badge!" Hermione beamed. Orion smiled.

"Congratulations." He said, giving Sarah an amused glance, which she responded to with a raised eyebrow. She was glad for Hermione, of course, but it was hardly a surprise- there wasn't exactly any other competition to someone who might well be the best student in the school- certainly the best in the year. More surprising was the Prefect badge that fell out of Ron's letter, although considering what Sarah knew of the other Gryffindor boys in her year, maybe not so shocking.

"Ah," Orion said, "Just as it was in my own world. Nice that things are so familiar."

Sarah frowned at him.

"You weren't a Prefect?" she asked. Orion looked horrified at the very idea.

"Perish the thought. No, Ron was a Prefect in my world as well. Funny how it all works out, right? Besides, you aren't a Prefect either."

"No, but…well, I'm up against Hermione, bit of a lost cause. But with the Gryffindor boys I would have thought that the Boy-Who-Lived would be a natural choice-no offence, Ron."

"None taken." Ron mumbled absently, apparently still stunned by his badge. Orion smiled crookedly.

"With all the misadventures I've gotten into over the years? Hardly."

"Ron was involved in most of those 'misadventures'." Sarah pointed out.

"Ron isn't having his sanity questioned by the _Daily Prophet._ Seamus and Dean aren't an option, they lack the character to keep everyone in line, and Neville is a nice guy but has acute self-confidence issues, so he's out. That leaves Ron as the best choice. Also…Dumbledore told me that he didn't want to put more responsibility on me, and I see his point. Fifth year will be stressful enough as it is."

"Who are the other Prefects?" asked Hermione- Ron was still in a stupor.

"I think that it was Cho Chang and Anthony Goldstein for Ravenclaw and Ernie Smith and either Susan Bones or Hannah Abbot for Hufflepuff. I honestly didn't pay much attention. Slytherin got Pansy Parkinson and, of course, Draco Malfoy."

"Draco Malfoy?" Ron screeched, broken from his silent contemplation of his badge. Orion nodded.

"You know, blond, pale, annoying, arrogant-"

"I know who he is! But how could that slimy git become a Prefect?" Ron demanded. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Well, either he was thought to be the best for the job- might well be, actually, given that Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini are far too quiet, and Crabbe and Goyle are, well, Crabbe and Goyle. As if that isn't enough, Lucius Malfoy still has a massive amount of influence even if he is no longer a school governor. Ah, nepotism. Such a wonderful thing."

Ron looked blank, and Sarah sighed.

"Shorter words, Orion, Ron hasn't eaten enough to comprehend. If Malfoy is a Prefect, I suppose we'll just have to be careful around him. Or at least, not give him any easy openings."

"Ron, perhaps you should go and tell your mother and siblings about your badge? You too Hermione." Orion suggested gently, and the two left, Ron in a tearing hurry, Hermione somewhat more sedately. Once they had gone Orion turned a sceptical eye on Sarah.

"Not give Malfoy any easy openings?" he said. Sarah smiled.

"Yes. Perhaps it's time I stopped being quite so…nice? I can always blame it on your bad influence. I mean, Ron has a rather black and white view of right and wrong, and Hermione is a little too straight-laced. But with you to back me up…"

"Ah!" Orion exclaimed, apparently delighted. "You want to torment dear Draco, but you just need someone to help you- someone with the ambiguous morality Gryffindors so lack and despise. Someone like yourself…or me, actually."

"Definitely. Draco is always so confident and arrogant. If we can ruin his confidence and throw him off his throne of superiority…"

"The wolves will take him, leaving our hands clean. Wolves…or should I say snakes?"

"Either is quite as good. We shall have to begin with unsettling him when he first meets you, I think. What do you think?"

Orion's eyes gleamed with amusement.

"I think this year is going to be quite interesting indeed."

That night Sarah spent most of the large meal that Molly Weasley had prepared in celebration of Ron and Hermione becoming Prefects lost in thought. They would return to Hogwarts tomorrow, and she was thinking hard of how things would be different. Fortunately, she was sat with Ron on one side and Alastor Moody on the other. Moody was his usual taciturn self, eyeing Orion with an unreadable expression, while Ron babbled on about his new broomstick that his mother had bought him to celebrate becoming a Prefect. Sarah appreciated having Ron as a friend, but he could be very unobservant sometimes- all she needed to do was smile and nod on occasion and he kept talking. Orion was sat next to Sirius- it was remarkable how alike they looked with the changes to Orions face and hair. Sarah idly wondered when Dumbledore would get around to freeing her of the magic binding her own Metamorphagus abilities- Orion had said that if she still had the block by Christmas he would break it, consequences be damned.

"You know, Mad-Eye," Orion said, sounding amused, "If you keep glaring at me like that I'm going to get nervous enough to pull my wand on the first person to sneeze nearby. I'm not going to try to murder you all."

Moody sniffed.

"You say that, Argent, but I don't trust you."  
"You don't trust anyone. If I was going to commit murder rest assured I wouldn't do it around you."

"That isn't the same as saying you wouldn't commit murder." Moody pointed out suspiciously. Orion gave a brilliant smile.

"Of course it isn't. But that's no reason to condemn someone, is it?"

"It's reason to be suspicious. How do we know you aren't a spy sent by Voldemort?"

Orion ignored the winces from a few people who had caught the last part of the conversation.

"Because I've had plenty of chances to hurt Sarah and others and haven't, and I passed a Veritaserum interrogation?"

"Snape could be in on it, and have given you fake Veritaserum." Sarah suggested idly, playing along with what she was starting to consider a fascinating mental exercise. Orion glanced at her and nodded approvingly.

"Now that would be a plan worthy of a Slytherin, wouldn't it? Gain the trust of the Order, have three spies instead of one, and have two people perfectly placed to strike when the time comes? However…I wonder, how many Death Eaters would be willing to give up their ability to walk correctly and their left hand to have the plan work? How would they know that Sarah is a Metamorphagus, and how would they recruit a Metamorphagus to help them? And even then, how would they time the Dementor attack so perfectly? Too many coincidences, wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose that the Metamorphagus thing could be a lie, and Dumbledore could have been Confunded. The Dementor attack might have been staged, and there are several fanatical Death Eaters- the only problem would be finding a Metamorphagus loyal enough to Voldemort." Sarah suggested. Several nearby people were now looking with suspicion at Orion, who was still smiling.

"Well reasoned, I supposed. Relies on a long chain of coincidence and favourable outcomes, but possible. However, the easiest way to prove it all wrong would be to break the binding on your Metamorphagus abilities and prove that hypothesis you came up with wrong."

"Something that, happily, I can provide." Said an amused, elderly voice. Sarah looked across to see that Dumbledore had walked in at some point, and obviously listened to the conversation.

"Headmaster?" Orion questioned, looking curious. Dumbledore smiled.

"I heard your idea…quite interesting, that mental exercise of how to infiltrate the Order. A good thing I came here to break the binding on Sarah, yes? The spell should not take long, I just needed to prepare a potion that will weaken the binding. Drink this, Sarah." The Headmaster said, handing Sarah a goblet filled with a potion that slowly shifted colours.

"A potion that weakens all magical bindings. Interesting." Orion commented. Dumbledore glanced at him.

"You did not use this method?"

"No. I wasn't the one who cast the spell and my knowledge was limited, so I had to resort to brute force overwhelming the binding. It was remarkably painful, I'll say that."

"Ah, yes. A crude method, likely the only one you had available to you. This will work much better- the potion, then a short spell, and her ability will be unbound. Just try to keep it under control, Sarah."

Sarah shrugged as she downed the potion. It was unpleasant- almost no taste, but with a thick, oily texture, and it made her skin tingle. Dumbledore waved his wand in a complex motion, muttering under his breath, and the tingling sensation increased until, abruptly, it stopped. Sarah felt no different.

"Did it work? I don't feel any different." She said. Orion, who now had one eyebrow raised, nodded.

"I'd say it worked. Here-"

From somewhere within his clothes Orion produced a small mirror and passed it across to Sarah. She looked into the mirror and hissed in surprise. Her eyes were now a steely grey, and her hair had gone jet black- she looked almost like Orion or Sirius, just a female version. Orion smiled.

"Flattered as I am that you're imitating me, it is a bit odd. Maybe you should go back to your original appearance?"

"How do I do that?" Sarah hissed, uncomfortably aware of most of the table watching her.

"Concentrate on how you looked, and you should change back. Being a Metamorphagus is instinctual- it doesn't really take training." Tonks, the Order Auror who was a fully-fledged Metamorphagus, unlike the more limited Orion or Sarah, called. Sarah closed her eyes, imagining how she had looked, vivid green eyes and flame red hair. She opened her eyes again as Orion commented,

"Well done."

Looking once more into the mirror, Sarah let out a soft sigh of relief at being back to normal.

"Why do you carry a mirror around?" Hermione asked, looking at Orion. Orion shifted in his seat, frowning.

"Ah, well…"

"He's paranoid that he'll get his transformation wrong, so he keeps a mirror to check. Always." Theia supplied. Orion frowned at the burst of laughter.

"Yes, well, it happens. Has happened. However…Moody, do you accept _now_ that I'm not a spy, assassin or other bad guy?"

Moody frowned at him, then the grim slash of a mouth turned into a slight smile.

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I trust you."  
"Wouldn't expect anything else." Orion replied equably, and the table turned back to talking and eating. Moody looked thoughtfully at Orion, then turned to Sarah.

"Potter," he said, his gruff voice more friendly now, "Got something to show you."

Sarah looked at Moody and raised an eyebrow. The grizzled ex-Auror rummaged around in his coat for a brief while before pulling free a tattered piece of paper that he laid reverently on the table.

"There," Moody breathed, "Original Order of the Phoenix. Found it last night, thought you might be interested in seeing it."

Sarah pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and leaned forwards. The paper was an old, battered Wizarding photo, crammed with tiny figures that peered up at her and Moody.

"That's me." Moody said, needlessly Sarah thought, pointing at his recognisable figure, although the face was a little less battered, the hair a little less grey.

"Albus on my side, Daedalus Diggle on the other… Marlene Mckinnon, she only lived for two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family… Frank and Alice Longbottom-"

Sarah remembered what had happened to them, what she had seen in Dumbledore's Pensieve the previous year, and her stomach coiled slightly. Moody kept talking- she had missed some of what he said.

"There's Emmeline Vance, don't know if you've met her, and that's Lupin, should recognise him. That's Benjy Fenwick, we never found his body…shift aside, there-"

The picture people at the front shuffled aside, making room to see those at the back.

"There's Edgar Bones, great wizard but they got him and his family, only his sister lived….Sturgis Podmore, looks bloody young there…Caradoc Dearborn, never found his body either…Hagrid, looks the same as he always has…Elphias Doge, think you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat…Gideon Prewett, took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes…budge across, move over…"

Once more the little picture figures shuffled and bunched up, moving to let those at the very back move to the front.

"There's Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke…that's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally…Sirius, still with short hair…and…there you go, thought that would interest you!"

Sarah felt her heart give an uncomfortable thump. Her father and mother were beaming up at her, flanking a small watery-eyed man…Wormtail…the one who had ultimately betrayed them. Moody was still looking at her, so she forced herself to respond.

"Interesting…" Sarah said, trying to sort out the emotions she felt. She needed to get away, needed an excuse…

"Oh," she said, mind momentarily blank, "I just remembered, I forgot to pack, uh,"

Fortunately, Sirius distracted Moody, and Sarah was able to slip away as the Auror turned in his seat. She quickly made her way up to the first floor, sitting in the room that she shared with Theia, leaning her head against the cool wall.

How odd that she should feel so strange…she had seen pictures of her parents before, and Wormtail she had met in person, and yet…perhaps it was having it sprung on her like that. And to see them, with all those other, happily smiling faces…Caradoc Dearborn, whose body had never been found…Gideon Prewett, who died like a hero…Frank and Alice Longbottom, tortured into insanity…

"Not very glorious, is it?" asked the smooth baritone voice of Orion. Sarah twitched around in alarm, but relaxed as she saw that he was leaning against the wall next to the door, his eyes filled with empathy.

"Glorious? Not really. All those people…"

"People die in war. Just because this war isn't open doesn't change that fact."

"Did they know? All those smiling faces, waving so happily, not knowing what awaited them…"

"It's quite unsettling, isn't it? I had much the same reaction when Moody showed that picture to me. But ultimately…"

"They knew what they were getting into. They knew there were risks…just as we know there are risks." Sarah finished the thought, and Orion nodded slowly. The two of them knew they both understood. It was terrible to think of what had happened to those Order members, but the alternative was to give in, to submit. Sarah knew that her pride would never allow that.

"Feeling better? I thought so." Orion said briskly. Sarah raised an eyebrow, and he grinned.

"Your Metamorph abilities are playing up- your hair went darker red. Hard to notice unless you're looking, but I have a good eye. It's why I prefer darker shades for my hair- it doesn't react even that much."

Sarah hummed thoughtfully and walked across the room, walking through the door. Orion followed quietly, walking softly through the halls until a sobbing noise cut across the silence. The two of them immediately drew their wands, glancing at each other swiftly. Someone was sobbing in the drawing room.

"Hello?" Sarah called. There was no answer but for continued sobbing. Orion took the stairs two at a time, walking swiftly across to the drawing room and pushing open the door, Sarah close behind. Someone was cowering against the wall, hidden by shadows, whole body wracked with sobs. Sprawled in the middle of the room, on dusty carpet lit by moonlight, was the dead body of Ron. Sarah sucked in a quick breath, ice seemed to flood her veins- but Ron was downstairs-

" _R-r riddikulus!"_ croaked the woman on the floor, pointing her shaking wand at Ron's body. Mrs Weasley. There was a crack, and the body turned into Bill, loose-limbed and lifeless. Sarah stepped forward, bumping hard into Orion. They both stumbled forwards, and Orion fell to one knee. There was a crack, a puff of mist, and suddenly the body was replaced by a dark figure. Face shadowed, body hidden by long robes and coat of black. A mane of ebon hair cascaded around the collar of the coat, and his left arm was bare to the elbow…a silver arm, but one that dripped with crimson gore. A chuckle, low and menacing and somehow more terrifying than the high pitched giggle of Voldemort had ever been, as the apparition reached a red stained hand out to a frozen Orion. Somehow, part of Sarah's brain was still acting, and it screamed one word at her: Boggart. On that thought Sarah acted, shoving Orion aside and placing herself firmly in the path of the advancing shade. Another crack, and a Dementor floated there, dark and menacing. A deathly wave of cold washed over the room, but Sarah acted quickly:

" _Expecto Patronum!"_ she yelled, and the shining stag burst from her wand and drove back the Boggart. The Patronus didn't shine as bright as usual, she was using her blank wand, but it was enough to drive the Boggart back into whatever dark crevice it had been hidden in. Sarah slumped, and turned to Orion. He was still kneeling, his eyes blank and his hair gone pure white. Sarah swore inwardly, and shouted for help.

Once again, Sarah found herself sat in the kitchen, unable to sleep, and joined by a dimensional traveller. This time, however, it was Theia who sat opposite her, sipping hot chocolate and looking at Sarah with silver eyes whose dreamy quality almost hid the sharp intelligence behind them. Almost.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Sarah asked. "The Boggart."

Theia nodded slowly.

"Dark Lord Lament, yes. The thing Orion fears most. Or at least, what he feared most at that moment."

"How bad was it? To fear himself so much?" Sarah asked softly. Theia contemplated the question for a moment, then sighed. The rest of the house was asleep, including Orion.

"I can't truly say. When he was Lament he worked alone, and was a mixture of subtlety and brutality. That silver hand came in quite useful sometimes, I think…the extra strength…he's never told me most of it. I think he'd like to forget, and the Ministry never reported his crimes in detail. Despite what he says, I think he's ashamed- perhaps not entirely of what he did, but that he lost control of himself enough to do it."

Sarah nodded silently, remembering the blank look on Orions face and realising that she could have become just as great a monster as the dark figure Orion feared so much. A pulse of gratitude to Theia and Orion swept through her, for coming to this world to help save her from that fate. Sarah made a silent promise that she would not waste the chance she had been gifted.

* * *

Chapter 7, at last. Bit of a mishmash of stuff, but the Grimmauld Place section is finally over. Next chapter the Hogwarts express, and meeting other students. That said, enjoy this one. Read and Review!


	8. Chapter 8

**As before, I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

The next morning Sarah wandered down to the kitchen to find a scene of utter chaos. As usual most of the Weasleys hadn't packed their Hogwarts trunks and, to make things worse, Fred and George had decided to levitate their trunks and fly them down the stairs to save time. Unfortunately the speeding trunks had encountered Ginny on the way down, knocking her down two flights of stairs into the hall. As such, although Ginny wasn't seriously hurt, the kitchen was a cacophony of noise as Molly Weasley and Mrs Black's portrait competed to shout over one another. Orion sat in the corner, his hair back to black and his calm expression resumed. He was slowly tossing his wand into the air with his left hand, easily catching it after on slow rotation- an oasis of calm amongst the madness. Sarah would have wondered how he had recovered so quickly, but she knew it was a mask so familiar it was like his own face: after all, she had worn a similar mask at the end of the past four years.

"I'd forgotten all this." Orion remarked, as Sarah walked over next to him. Once she got close enough silence descended- Orion must have cast a Silencing charm around himself. Sarah sat down with a sigh and filched a piece of buttered toast from a plate in front of Orion.

"Please, help yourself." Orion remarked, amused. Sarah didn't even dignify that sarcasm with a reply as Hermione came rushing in, Crookshanks perched on one shoulder, Hedwig on the other and looking frazzled.

"Hedwig just got back, Sarah. Are you two ready yet?"

"Absolutely. Is Ginny alright?" Sarah asked, popping the last bite of toast into her mouth as her owl swooped down and landed on her cage, before Sarah opened the cage and let her in. Hermione nodded.

"Mrs Weasley patched her up. But Mad-Eye says we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here, otherwise the guard'll be one short."

"Guard?" Sarah questioned, arching an eyebrow. Orion caught his wand one last time and slid it into his sleeve.

"To look after you, Girl Saviour." He said, sounding amused as he stood and stretched. Sarah shot him a glare and stood as well.

"I thought Voldemort was lying low? He's hardly going to jump out from behind a dustbin and try to kill me, is he?"

"Probably not. But given that he's as mad as a box of frogs-" Orion supplied. Sarah groaned and hung her head.

"Even if he did jump out at me, how is the Order supposed to hold him off? They've never managed before, seems like." She groused. Hermione frowned.

"Whatever happens, if we don't leave now we'll miss the train…"

Molly Weasley yelled for everyone to get downstairs, causing Sarah to sigh and pick up her trunk.

"Orion, where's you trunk?" Hermione asked. Orion indicated the hallway with his thumb.

"In the hallway. I think Moody said he would take care of the luggage. Now, if you'll excuse me, I told Theia I'd help her with her trunk."

Sarah watched Orion wander off, and inwardly admitted to relief that he was managing. Or at least, he wasn't actively breaking down. Good enough, she decided, as she lugged her trunk into the hallway, carrying Hedwig's cage uncomfortably under one arm.

"Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor will deal with the luggage- Sarah, you're with me and Tonks…oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said NO!"

A bear-like black dog had appeared at Sarah's side as she clambered over the trunks littering the hall. Just behind her Theia, assisted by Orion, stepped over the trunks with considerably more grace, though Orion himself seemed to find it harder, with his limp and cane.

"Oh, honestly," Mrs Weasley said despairingly, "On your head be it!"

Sirius barked in acknowledgement, and Mrs Weasley stepped out into the weak September sunlight, closely followed by Sarah, Theia, Orion and the dog. Sarah shot an inquiring glance at Theia, who shrugged.

"We're probably just as able as the Order guards." She offered, and Orion nodded. Mrs Weasley pursed her lips, but didn't say anything as the door slammed behind them, cutting off the wailing of Mrs Black.

"Where's Tonks?" Sarah asked, looking around as they walked down the stone steps of Number Twelve, which vanished the instant they touched the pavement.

"She's waiting for us just up here." Mrs Weasley said stiffly, pointedly looking away from the dog form of Sirius, lolloping along beside Sarah. An old woman greeted them on the corner, wearing a purple hat shaped like a pork pie over tightly curled grey hair.

"Wotcher, Harry," she said with a wink. "Better hurry up, hadn't we Molly?" she added, glancing at her watch. "I know." Mrs Weasley grumbled, lengthening her stride, "but Mad-Eye wanted to wait for Sturgis…if only Arthur could have gotten us cars from the Ministry again, but Fudge doesn't trust him, thinks he's too close to Dumbledore…"

"So the man isn't a complete idiot." Orion muttered from behind, easily keeping pace despite his limp. The great black dog barked in agreement, happily gambolling around them, snapping at pigeons and chasing his own tail, and Sarah couldn't help but laugh. Twenty minutes later they reached Kings Cross, with no sign of Death Eaters and the only thing that had jumped out from behind dustbins a cat. Once inside the platform they lingered unobtrusively near the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Orion somehow managing to blend in despite the cane, until the coast was clear and they were able to slip through the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The Hogwarts Express stood, belching clouds of sooty steam over the groups of students and families milling around on the Platform, and Sarah took a deep breath of the sharp air and felt a comfort she couldn't describe, but one that felt like going home.

"I hope the others make it…" Mrs Weasley said in a worried tone. Her words proved prophetic, for barely a minute later Alastor Moody walked onto the platform, dressed as a porter and with a luggage trolley filled with their possessions on it. He was followed by Arthur Weasley, Ron ad Hermione and, shortly afterwards, Fred, George and Ginny escorted by Lupin. They had soon unloaded the luggage, with all reporting no trouble- much as Sarah had suggested, though she didn't mention it to Mad-Eye.

"Well, look after yourselves," Lupin said, shaking hands all round. He reached Sarah last, and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Especially you, Sarah- and don't forget to write if you need anything."

A few more handshakes and hugs later, and Sirius, still as a dog, reared up and briefly put his paws on Sarah's shoulders.

"For heaven's sake, act more like a dog, Sirius!" hissed Mrs Weasley, dragging him away. Orion laughed and ruffled the fur on Sirius' head as they quickly moved towards the train, just before the whistle blew.

"See you!" Sarah called out the open window, the others waving as the train pulled away from the station- the figures of the group shrank quickly, all except Sirius, who was chasing the train to the laughter of the people on the platform, until the train turned a corner and he was out of sight.

"He shouldn't have come with us." Hermione said in a worried tone. Sarah glanced at her, but Orion spoke first.

"He's been cooped up for months and the only people who might recognise him can't act on it. He'll be fine, Hermione."

Hermione didn't look convinced, but George clapped his hands.

"Well, can't stand around chatting all day. We've got business to discuss with Lee- see you." He said, before he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right.

"So," Sarah said eventually, as the train gathered speed, "Shall we go find a compartment then?" Ron and Hermione looked awkward.  
"Actually, we're supposed to go to the Prefect compartment." Hermione said, looking as awkward as Sarah now felt. Ron had become intensely interested in his fingernails.

"Oh. Right. Fine. Well, Orion and Theia are here, and Ginny." Sarah said. Ron and Hermione nodded, looking relieved at her easy acceptance but, as they dragged off their trunks and other luggage, Sarah couldn't help but feel an odd sense of loss. Orion patted her shoulder gently.

"Come on- if we're quick we can save them a place in a compartment. And I think I know one compartment that will be all but empty right now."

"Right." Sarah muttered, following Orion and Theia down the train. As she walked she glanced into compartments, and she couldn't help but notice that a lot of people stared at her with great interest, and some even nudged their friends and pointed her out. She wasn't really surprised, after what the _Prophet_ had been saying all summer, but the looks still made her uncomfortable. In the very last carriage they met Neville Longbottom, Sarah's fellow Gryffindor Fifth Year. His round face shone with the sweat of pulling his trunk along one handed while holding his pet toad, Trevor, in the other.

"Hey Sarah, hey Ginny. Who are-"

"Orion and Theia. We'll make proper introductions after we find somewhere to sit." Sarah offered. Neville blinked and nodded. "All the compartments are full, I think." He said. Orion smiled.

"Not quite." He said, slipping past Neville and opening the door into the compartment behind him.

"There's only one person in here. You don't mind if we join you, do you?" he asked, strolling in. Neville mumbled something about not wanting to disturb anyone, but Orion ignored him as the girl in the compartment looked up and Sarah recognised her. Straggly, waist-length blonde hair, pale eyebrows over silvery eyes, wand stuck behind her left ear, Butterbeer cork necklace…Sarah recognised her at once: Luna Lovegood. Her world's version of Theia. It was amazing, Sarah realised, what a difference the lack of accoutrements and shorter hair made. Orion smiled at Luna, who was giving him an unblinking gaze as he sat down.

"No, I don't mind." She said quietly, turning her gaze upon Theia, who met it calmly.

"So, introductions." Sarah said, mainly hoping to head off anything Luna might say that would give Orion and Theia away.

"Orion, Theia, this is Neville Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor."

Theia turned her head, and offered her hand to Neville.

"Nice to meet you Neville. I'm Theia." She said. Neville was silent, but shook her hand. Orion, having stowed their luggage on the rack, offered his right hand- gloved, like his left, incongruous with the jeans and sweater he was wearing otherwise.

"Arcturus Orion Argent. Call me Orion, Arcturus was my grandfather and I can't stand the name." he said. Neville cautiously shook the proffered hand.

"Um…ok."

Thankfully, Luna was still looking at Orion and Theia thoughtfully, so Neville kept talking.

"I…um…haven't seen you around before. Are you new?"  
"Oh, yes." Orion said, answering first. "I've been home-schooled by my mother, but she died recently so I'm having to attend Hogwarts. Luckily my father is Sarah's Godfather, so I was able to live with her for the summer."

Orion managed to put just the right amount of sorrow into his voice, Sarah reflected, and he spoke easily enough that Neville was almost deflected from the obvious question. Almost.

"Sarah has a Godfather? Who?"

Sarah sighed inwardly. This wasn't particularly common knowledge, happily, but it might become so. Orion stayed looking sad.

"Ah…Sirius Black." He admitted. Neville jumped.

"Sirius Black? You're Sirius Blacks son?" he squeaked. Orion, to his credit, didn't laugh at the response- Sarah noticed that Theia had leaned over to Luna and was muttering to her. Orion looked at Neville.

"Yes. But he and my mother were never married, and she refused to speak of him much after he was sent to Azkaban. I've never met my father." Orion said, looking entirely honest. Neville started to relax slightly, and looked at Theia. Sarah's suspicions of a conspiracy were confirmed at that moment, as Luna looked up from her magazine- _The Quibbler,_ Sarah thought- and turned her dreamy eyes on Theia.

"You're me, aren't you?" she asked. Neville stared, and Sarah groaned inwardly. Theia smiled.

"Oh, absolutely. You from another world." She agreed. Neville was still staring, so Orion- in a move so practiced Sarah would never be convinced that it wasn't rehearsed- leaned over to him.

"I've met Theia before, Neville. She's a Lovegood- you know they are odd. The two of them are probably just winding you up." He said in a low voice. Neville frowned, thought about it, and then nodded, to the relief or Sarah. Much to her amusement that remark drew the attention of Luna and Theia to Orion, and they promptly re-arranged themselves so that they were on the seats flanking Orion before breaking into a conversation about various kinds of magical creatures, most imaginary- or at least undiscovered. Orion, to the clear surprise of Neville and Ginny, seemed to take it in stride, though Sarah wondered how long he could endure it. The train rattled on, until Neville brought Sarah back into the conversation.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" he said. Sarah shrugged, took a shot.

"Another Remembrall?" she said, remembering the marble-like device he had received in First Year. Neville shook his head.

"No, I could do with one though, lost the first one ages ago. No, look at this…"

He dug into his bad with the hand that wasn't holding his escape-prone toad, and rather triumphantly pulled out a plant in a small pot.

" _Mimbulus mimbletonia."_ He said proudly. Sarah stared. She knew that Neville had a fondness for and talent for working with plants, but she didn't see the appeal of the small grey plant covered in what looked like boils. It looked, Sarah thought, like a cactus with a horrible skin disease.

"It's really rare!" Neville said, beaming. "I don't even think the Hogwarts greenhouses have any, my Great Uncle Algie got it for me from Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it…"

"Does it…ah…do anything?" she asked, a little suspicious. Neville smiled even wider, if that was possible.

"Loads of stuff! It's got an amazing defensive mechanism- here, hold Trevor for me-"

Sarah fielded the toad and watched as Neville pulled a quill from his school bag. He carefully held the plant up to eye level and held up the quill. Sarah and Ginny watched curiously: Luna half turned from her conversation: Orion pulled his wand from his sleeve, though Sarah didn't notice. Neville gave the plant a hard prod with the quill, and liquid squirted from every boil on the thing. It covered the walls, the ceiling, the floor and the passengers, all except Orion, Theia and Luna, who were shielded by a hastily whispered shield charm from Orion. Ginny was lucky: she got her arms up and so her face wasn't touched, but Sarah and Neville were soaked in the stuff. It was thick and green and smelled awful. Sarah repressed the first few responses that came to mind, trying to censor her response. Shaking his head to clear the worst from his eyes, Neville managed to speak.

"Sorry," he managed to get out, "Haven't tried that before…didn't think it would be that bad…don't worry though, the Stinksap isn't poisonous." He added, as Sarah spat a mouthful of the vile tasting stuff onto the floor. At that precise moment the door to the carriage slid open. Sarah immediately wondered if it was Draco Malfoy, early for his train journey taunting. On one hand that would be bad, because he would see her like this. On the other it would be nice to be able to let out some of the frustration, and cursing Malfoy into a quivering lump of jelly was as effective a means as any. Alas, not to be.

"Oh. Hello, Sarah. Bad time?" asked a vaguely familiar voice. Sarah turned her head to see the Ravenclaw Sixth Year, Cho Chang, peering through the door. Sarah quashed the instinctive first response of 'Absolutely wonderful, I do so enjoy being caked in vile green stuff' in favour of a shrug.

"Herbology is such an interesting discipline. Never sure what might happen." Orion supplied, with a smile towards Cho. The Ravenclaw looked at him briefly with an odd expression, then nodded.

"Well, um, yes, I suppose. Just thought I'd say hello, Sarah…um, bye then." She said, before leaving. Sarah sighed.

"Well, it could have been worse." She mumbled.

"I really am sorry…" Neville started, but Sarah cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"It's ok, Neville. _Scourgify._ " She said, waving her wand around the carriage- her real wand, not the blank- and exulting in its familiar warmth. The carriage was very quickly back to its usual state, and Sarah was glaring at Orion.

"How did you know to cast a Shield Charm?" she demanded, more for the satisfaction of seeing him have to respond in front of Neville. She knew full well how he'd done it- he'd experienced it before. But what would his excuse be?

"Plant responses can be unpredictable. My mother, when she was tutoring me, always told me to put up a Shield Charm unless I was absolutely confident in what the reaction would be, and then to put one up anyway." Orion replied easily, and immediately. Sarah scowled at the ready answer, but didn't comment any more. Neville looked worried.

"Should you really? I never do…I'm not sure I can cast a Shield Charm…"

"Oh, it isn't that hard. You just need to get it right- I'm sure Sarah could help you learn to use one properly." Orion said brightly, and Neville seemed to cheer up slightly as Sarah nodded agreement. Theia and Luna resumed their conversation, with Orion joining in at several points, and Sarah leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes, relaxing. Almost an hour later, Ron and Hermione entered, Ron flopping down on the seat next to Sarah with all the grace of a sack of potatoes- and not a very graceful sack at that. Sarah listened to part of what they were saying before dismissing it as unimportant and tuning them out again. She briefly paid attention when Hermione offended Luna about the _Quibbler,_ but went back to daydreaming until the compartment door opened for the third time that day and an all too recognisable blond stood sneering at her. Draco Malfoy. Not his best sneer, or his best entrance for that matter- seven out of ten. Sarah briefly wondered if he checked every compartment for her, but the thought brought up memories of Orion suggested that Malfoy had an unrequited crush on her, which made Sarah want to vomit. Or kill someone. Or maybe both. Luckily, Orion got in before she did.

"Ah, you must be Draco Malfoy!" Orion said happily, happiness that wasn't even slightly faked: Sarah could see the malicious delight in his eyes as he stood and started to shake Malfoy's hand- his left hand. Draco, going even whiter than before from the crushing grip of Orion's silver hand, managed a squeak.

"I've heard all about you! I was told that the Gryffindors and Slytherins hate each other, but that there was one Slytherin who acts just like a Gryffindor! It's nice to meet you at last." Orion said enthusiastically. Malfoy managed a noise of outrage that Orion ignored, bulldozing onwards.

"I mean, it's so nice to see that you appreciate the traits of blunt forwardness and direct confrontation that marks out Gryffindor! I'm glad you came to see Sarah so that I could meet you but, unfortunately, there really is no room in the compartment for anyone else. Maybe we'll speak again later?" Orion finished, ushering Malfoy back into the corridor and firmly closing the door, a smirk settling onto his face.

"What do you think?" Orion asked, glancing at Sarah. She shrugged.

"Seven out of ten. You'll have confused him there, but it probably could have been done better. How do you know he'll leave?"

"He cast a Confundus charm just as Malfoy left." Luna said, proving shockingly observant. Sarah, who had experience with the rather haphazard way Orion cast that particular charm, blanched then smiled.

"So he'll end up singing Queen songs or something in the drivers cab?" She asked, starting to laugh. Orion had the grace to look ashamed of his Confundus Charm, which tended to have odd side-effects.

"Actually," he said carefully, "I've experimented and the side effect seems to relate to personality and preferences. So it's unlikely that Malfoy is now feeling an urge to sing Queen songs. Opera maybe?"

Sarah made a noncommittal noise, thinking that the use of a Confundus charm hadn't been a part of their plan beforehand. While it was true that she, and therefore Orion, tended to alter plans on the fly, there must be a reason. Sarah resolved to ask Orion about it once they were away from Neville and Luna. Or maybe just Neville- Luna probably knew that Orion was an alternate dimension version of Sarah. She was oddly intuitive like that. Sarah leaned back again, gazing out of the window. The weather was unsettled: one moment a desultory rain would spatter the windows, only to be replaced by a feeble sunlight for a few minutes before being once again displaced by rain. She was still sitting, lost in thought, when darkness fell and the train lamps were lit. She looked across to Orion as he shifted slightly, and Sarah saw that he had moved to accommodate Theia, who was leaned against him, dozing. To Sarah's amusement and Orion's discomfort Luna was doing the very same thing on his other side. Sarah caught his eye and grinned at his uncomfortable expression, but she couldn't help but feel a spike of jealousy for Orion, for his relationship with Theia. A relationship so strong that Theia had broken into Azkaban and travelled to a different world to save him. Sarah idly wondered if she would ever know something so strong. Hermione dragged Sarah from her thoughts by announcing that they were close to Hogwarts, and that they should change into their robes. They managed, just, pulling robes over their Muggle clothes in the cramped compartment, just as the train began to slow down. Before long there was the usual racket as everyone up and down the train scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. As Ron and Hermione were supposed to be organising this they left that carriage again, Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks in the hands of the others. In the end Luna took Pigwidgeon, while Theia got hold of Crookshanks as the group traipsed out of the train into the cool night. Sarah expected to hear the familiar sound of Hagrid calling for the First Years, but instead the call came in a brisk female voice that belonged, as Sarah saw in the light of a lantern that swung towards her, to the grey-haired, square jawed Professor Grubbly-Plank, who had acted as a substitute teacher for Hagrid for a few weeks last year.

"Where's Hagrid?" muttered Sarah, frowning. Ginny, walking just behind, bumped into her.

"I don't know," she said, "but we'd better move out of the way, we're blocking the doorway."

"Right, yeah."

Sarah became separated from Ginny as she walked along the platform and out of the station, but Orion and Theia managed to stay close despite the jostling of the cloud. Squinting through the night, Sarah searched for a glimpse of Hagrid, but she was starting to suspect that he wasn't there. She looked for Ron and Hermione, knowing that she could ask Orion about Hagrid once she had the chance, but the two Prefects were nowhere to be seen and so she let herself be shunted along the road from the station, up the dark path where the horseless carriages that carried students above First year to Hogwarts. To her surprise, the carriages were no longer horseless- they appeared to have some hideous skeletal creatures harnessed to them. The creatures looked like horses, but their black, leathery skin hung loosely off sharply defined bones, their dragon like heads had white, staring eyes and massive black wings hung on either side of the body. Sarah stopped dead, but Orion pushed her onwards, murmuring in her ear.

"Those are Thestrals. They can only be seen by those who have seen and comprehended death." He whispered, and Sarah began walking again. There was something oddly familiar about the Thestrals, she thought, but she didn't know where from. The carriage was only really big enough for six, but with Neville vanished in the crowd and with the seven of them squashing up in the seats they just managed to fit. From the corner of her eye Sarah noticed Malfoy pushing aside some Second-years so that he and his minions could have a coach to themselves, noticing that Malfoy still looked a little red and wondered what effect exactly Orion's Confundus charm had had on him. Sarah suddenly snapped her fingers and pointed at Orion.

"That's where I've seen those Thestrals before! Your Patronus is one!" she said. Hermione gasped.

"Sarah, you can see Thestrals? But they're supposed to be omens of bad luck, and-"

"Nonsense, Hermione. Seeing a Thestral is not an indicator of bad luck in the future. Mostly it's an indicator of bad luck in the past. And yes, Sarah, my Patronus is a Thestral. Make of that what you will."

"Odd." Luna said dreamily. "You would have thought that the two same people would have the same Patronus, even if they are from different worlds."

Silence fell, until Sarah and Orion started to laugh.

"How did you know?" Orion asked. Luna smiled and, once again, Sarah saw that the dreaminess didn't quite hide the sharp intelligence in her eyes.

"Theia is quite close to Orion considering she should never have met him before, since she's from a different world. And nobody adjusts to me as quickly as Orion managed. Not without prior experience." She said. Sarah shook her head slowly, resolving to pay more attention to what Luna said in the future. Ginny was the one who eventually moved the conversation on.

"Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman? What's she doing there, Hagrid can't have left, can he?"

Orion was quick to speak, Sarah noticed, cutting Luna off.

"I believe that Hagrid is still on…business…for Dumbledore. Nothing to worry about." He said, giving Sarah a look that she interpreted as being 'I'll tell you more later'. Satisfied, Sarah sat back, listening as the carriages creaked and rattled, rolling along in convoy up the road. When they passed the gates of the school grounds she couldn't help but glance at Hagrid's hut but there were no lights on, the dark bulk of the cottage hidden by the much larger darkness of the Forbidden Forest behind it. The carriages rolled to a stop before the doors to the Great Hall and the relieved group piled out, happy to no longer be squashed together and joining the group hurrying up the stone steps to the castle. Orion and Theia quickly broke off, waiting in the Entrance Hall where the First Years would wait to be sorted- something Orion had grumbled about, but had been able to persuade Dumbledore not to do. Sarah walked with the others into the Great Hall, noticing people putting their heads together to whisper as she walked past- she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, being careful to keep her temper in check- it would do no good to lose her temper and have her Metamorphagus abilities manifest in the middle of the Great Hall. Luna drifted away towards the Ravenclaw table, and Ginny left to join some other Fourth years- Sarah, Ron and Hermione joined Neville about halfway down the table, between Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, Sarah's roommates who she suspected had been gossiping about her, given the airy, over-friendly greetings they gave her. Sarah briefly scanned the staff table, frowning when she saw Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked normal- normal for him, anyway, in deep purple robes scattered with silver stars and a matching hat. No, what made Sarah frown was the woman sat next to him, whispering in his ear. She was squat, with short, curly brown hair that was not improved by a horrible pink Alice band placed in it, matching the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes: her face, as she turned slightly, was pallid, toad like, with pouchy, bulging eyes. Sarah had a strong mental image of a frog, or a toad, and remembered what Orion had said: Dolores Umbridge. Orion had described the woman as malicious, bigoted and looking like a toad. Sarah had the feeling that his description had been perfect. Sarah throttled a sigh- she had been really hoping that this would have changed, and that Hogwarts would have a decent Defence teacher this year. Evidently not. Sarah watched as Professor Grubbly-Plank made her way to the staff table: that meant that the First-Years had crossed the Lake and, sure enough, the doors soon opened and Professor McGonagall walked in, carrying the tattered old Sorting Hat. Behind her came a long line of First Years and, at their head, Orion and Theia. Orion looked irritated as he first entered, but quickly smoothed away the expression into an easy half-smile. Sarah listened half-heartedly to the song the Hat gave, and watched with interest as Dumbledore stood and looked at Orion.

"This year," Dumbledore said, smiling, "We have two new students entering the Fifth Year. As such, they will be Sorted first."

The Headmaster sat back down, and McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Argent, Arcturus." She said. Orion, maintaining his calm expression, sat on the small stool and slid the Hat onto his head. Sarah wondered if he would take as long as she had to Sort: five minutes later there was no doubt. Orion looked slightly annoyed, and she had seen his lips move slightly sometimes. Sarah imagined the argument he must be having with the Hat: the thought made her smile in amusement. Eventually the Hat sniffed- actually sniffed in disdain, Sarah was amazed- and, in an aggravated tone, pronounced-

"Gryffindor."

The table was silent for a moment, before Sarah ad her friends managed a small scale cheer as Orion limped towards them. He sat down next to Sarah, nodding his thanks to her for saving him a seat, and mumbled a string of profanities aimed at the Hat, which made Sarah grin in amusement. Theia was sorted much faster, going to Ravenclaw- Sarah noticed that the Hat, and the Ravenclaw table, seemed much more enthusiastic than for Orion.

"I think you've intimidated the school already." She whispered. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Sheep." He mumbled under his breath, as the Sorting proper began. Orion eventually managed to smooth his irritated expression back into his normal look, just as the Sorting ended and Dumbledore stood again, smiling and spreading his arms.

"To our newcomers, welcome! And to our old hands, welcome back! There are times for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

"Good man" Orion murmured, as food appeared on the golden plates of the tables and a clatter and chatter filled the Hall. Sarah ignored the way that Ron had dived on the food, talking to Orion.

"You know," she said conversationally as she loaded food onto her plate, "People are giving you almost as many funny looks as they are giving me."

"Hardly my fault." Orion said, turning away from the lamb chops on his plate.

"Oh? After taking so long to Sort, and getting that response from the Hat?"  
"Wanted me in Slytherin, damn thing. You would not believe how many threats I had to use to get into this House."

"Really? Even considering that most of Slytherin would probably live about a day after you got there?"

"The Hat said it would be a good thing. Clean up the House. I'm not sure if it was bluffing, to be honest."

"The Hat is a psychopath. Huh. Who would have thought it?"

They were interrupted when Ron managed to offend Nearly-Headless Nick by a combination of tactlessness and a tendency to talk with his mouth full. Orion shook his head, and went back to his plate. Sarah would have done much the same, but George turned up.

"Hey, Sarah, guess what I heard about dear Draco?" he said, eyes shining with mirth. Sarah shot a glance over to where Malfoy was holding court at the Slytherin table, and thought that he looked a little less sure of himself than usual.

"What?" she asked, curious. George grinned even more widely.

"Well. Fromm what I hear, about halfway through the trip Draco ended up in the drivers compartment, somehow…singing the song 'That's Amore'. There are plenty of bets on who exactly he was serenading, though the singing itself wasn't very good- wrong pitch, I hear."

Sarah started to laugh, only getting worse as Orion choked. She thumped Orion on the back and continued laughing as Orion stared at George.

"That…was not intentional." He admitted. George grinned so widely that Sarah thought his face would fall off.

"One of your horribly unpredictable Confundus Charms?" he guessed. Orion nodded, smiling himself.

"I don't know why they have extra effects, but it's useful all the same. Looks like our shot at knocking Malfoy off his perch is further ahead than we thought."

"Sure, sure. Well, if you need help let me know." George said, walking back down the table, still grinning. Orion shrugged and went back to eating. Once the feast was finished and the food had faded from the gleaming plates Dumbledore stood, smiling again. Sarah briefly wondered if his seemingly boundless cheer was natural. Surely not.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast," Dumbledore started, "I beg a few moments of your time for the usual start-of-term notices. First years should know that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden to students- a fact a few of our older students ought to know by now as well."

Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that Dumbledore gave her a knowing look at that point, but did her best to ignore that thought as the Headmaster continued.

"Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me, for what he informs me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes,"- Sarah raised a sceptical eyebrow at that, the rule was probably one of the least followed- "And nor are a number of other things, all of which can be found on the extensive list pinned to Mr Filch's office door. We have also had two staffing changes this year. We are pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, who will be our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of unenthusiastic applause- Sarah noticed that Orion only actually clapped once- and Dumbledore began to continue, but was cut off by the short, pink Professor Umbridge. Sarah tried to listen to the speech she gave, but she quite soon found herself staring blankly at the table and letting the words wash over her without paying attention. Finally it was over, and Dumbledore started talking again. Sarah looked at Orion and Hermione questioningly. Orion shrugged.

"Ministry's interfering with Hogwarts and she's their tool." He explained succinctly. Sarah nodded. All around them there was a great clattering as the students stood: Dumbledore had dismissed the school. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

"Ron, we're supposed to show the First-years where to go!"

"Right, yeah. Hey you lot! Midgets!"

"RON!"

"Well they are, look at how tiny they are-"

"I know, but you can't call them midgets…First Years, over here, please!"

A group of new students shuffled up between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them looking very small and trying not to lead the group. Sarah briefly wondered if she had been so small and uncertain in her First Year. She smiled at them, trying to be reassuring. A blond boy next to one Sarah vaguely recognised as being called Euan Abercrombie looked petrified; he nudged Euan and whispered something. Euan looked equally petrified now, stealing a horrified glance at Sarah, who made a valiant attempt to maintain her smile.

"If you keep grimacing like that you'll terrify them even more. Ten points if one of them starts crying." Orion whispered in her ear. Sarah lost her smile, relishing the grunt Orion gave as she elbowed his ribs, then strode out of the hall, dragging Orion along with her. More staring, whispering: Orion, quite loudly, made a dry comment that he was flattered, but he wasn't quite so interesting that everybody had to stare. That caused some to avert their stares in embarrassment, but there were still enough stares to cause Sarah to take several shortcuts to avoid the mass of people.

"I should have expected this." Sarah said sourly, as she neared the Gryffindor Common Room entrance. Orion hummed softly.

"Yes, it was probably a mistake by Dumbledore not to let you tell the whole school the full story. Of course, would you have been up to it?"

Sarah gave a brief, sour laugh.

"Hardly. Well, I'll just have to deal with being notorious and feared. It's happened before."

"Which is indeed a pity…" Orion murmured as the3 two of them reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady, and Sarah realised he didn't know the password. She looked at Orion, who looked similarly embarrassed.

"Er…" Sarah started, but the Fat Lady cut her off.

"No password no entrance, I'm afraid." The painting said. Sarah looked glum, but luckily Neville arrived.

"Hey Sarah, Orion. I know the password!" he said happily. He waved the stunted little cactus he had shown them on the train.

" _Mimbulus mimbletonia!_ I might be able to remember it this year!" he said proudly. Sarah smiled as the Common Room door swung open and she walked in, to the comforting familiarity and to the beckoning dormitory door. Sarah wished Orion good night and left for bed, too tired to even consider confronting the whispers and stare she would get when everyone else arrived. That could wait for tomorrow.

* * *

First Hogwarts chapter. Good times. Read and Review!


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own Harry Potter- Parts of this chapter are taken from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix**

* * *

Sarah walked into the Common Room the next morning to find Orion examining a poster on the notice board, apparently placed there by the Weasley twins, who were looking for guinea pigs for their experiments. Well, they said volunteers, but Guinea pigs was how Sarah translated it. Orion glanced at her as she walked up, and gave her a nod.

"Be careful of Seamus, he's in quite a mood. Apparently his mother reads and believes _The Prophet_ and didn't want him to go back to a school that a dangerous maniac was attending."

"Bloody typical." Sarah scowled. Orion shrugged, and raised an eyebrow.

"None of your roommates have said anything?"

"I was too busy being asleep to notice anything. Odds are at least one of them things the same though. It would be against the natural order of things if my classmates actually supported me."

Orion gave a brief, humourless chuckle.

"Regardless, you might find this interesting." He said, handing something in brown paper to Sarah. Sarah pulled off the paper wrapping and frowned.

"A mirror?"

"Not just a mirror. Watch…"

Orion took the mirror and, quite quietly, spoke into it.

"Theia."

The surface of the mirror seemed to ripple, and a moment later the beaming face of Theia was reflected in it.

"You managed it!" she nearly screamed, and for a moment Sarah thought it was Luna rather than Theia in the mirror. Orion grinned.

"Of course I did. This solves those little communication problems, right?"

"What is it?" Hermione asked, curious. Orion shrugged.

"A mirror that the Marauders used to use to stay in contact with each other. Siri…uh, Padfoot has one, and he gave me the match. Theia and I managed to sneak out to the Room of Requirement last night. That Room really is remarkable: it gave us information on how to create extra mirrors for the asking."

"Quick work. Though I have to wonder…would it have been so quick if you and Theia weren't in different Houses?" Sarah asked with a sly smile. Orion simply pushed the mirror into her hands, not deigning to give a verbal response.

"Keep that hidden, it's probably a banned item. Now, breakfast."

Sarah gave Orion an amusedly sceptical look, but he steadfastly ignored her as they walked into the Great Hall. Sarah's amusement, however, was diluted by the way that groups tended to shrink together upon seeing her, as though she might suddenly attack them. The very thought was ridiculous…she would hardly attack a large group in the open. Something like that would have to be done more stealthily…Sarah forcibly cut off that rather worrying thought, mentally repeating to herself that being a Dark Lady was not as attractive as it sometimes sounded. The enchanted ceiling above the Great Hall was rather grim, a miserable grey, covered in rainclouds. Sarah sat next to Orion, eying the ceiling with trepidation. Hopefully they wouldn't have any outside classes today. Just as that thought ended, a tall black girl with braids in her long hair had walked up to her.

"Hi, Angelina" Sarah greeted her.

"Hi," Angelina replied briskly, "Good Summer? Listen, I've been made the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."

"Well done." Sarah said, smiling at her- she suspected that Angelina's pep talks would not be so…tedious…as the ones given by the previous Captain. And she deserved to be Captain, of course. But that was less important.

"Yeah, well, we need a new Keeper now that Wood has left. Try outs are at 5 o'clock on Friday, I want the whole team there, all right? Then we can see how the new person'll fit in."

"Sure." Sarah said. Angelina smiled at her and departed.

"I'd forgotten that Wood had left." Hermione said vaguely as she sat down next to Ron and snagged a plate of toast. "I suppose that will make quite a difference to the team?"

Sarah shrugged.

"Maybe. He was a good Keeper."  
"Still, won't hurt to have some fresh blood." Commented Ron, as Theia and Luna flopped onto the bench opposite Sarah and Orion. Sarah raised an eyebrow at the two being on the Gryffindor table, but didn't comment- she didn't think there was anything stopping them except the opinions of the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, something neither Luna nor Theia gave two figs about.

"I notice that the Ravenclaws are giving the two of you some impressive glares." Orion note, as flapping filled the Hall from the post owls. Sarah didn't see Hedwig, nor did she expect to: her only correspondent was Sirius.

"Yes, they seem to have all the symptoms of acute Wrackspurt infestation." Luna said. Theia nodded.

"We may need to set up traps." She added. Orion seemed to shrink back. Sarah leaned across to whisper in his ear.

"What are the symptoms of Wrackspurt infestation? And why are you flinching?"

"Symptoms? Close-mindedness and kleptomania, mostly…as for the flinch, if you'd seen and been used a test subject for the traps Theia is talking about, you'd understand."

Sarah felt her eyebrow involuntarily inch up, but wisely decided to leave the topic alone. If Theia and Luna wanted to decimate Ravenclaw, it was none of her business. Speaking of Ravenclaw…

"Orion, you said that Cho Chang was the Ravenclaw Prefect, but she's a year ahead of us." Sarah pointed out. Orion shrugged.

"Ah…yeah. To be honest, I paid practically no attention to Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff- except Theia, of course- and I completely forgot that she was in the year above us."  
"You forget a lot from this year, don't you?"

"It has been seven years from my viewpoint, and most of those were action packed."

"Well, I suppose you might have a point there."

Professor McGonagall was now moving down the table, handing out timetables- Luna and Theia appeared to already have theirs.

"Look at today!" Ron groaned. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defence against the Dark Arts…Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day! Wish Fred and George would hurry up with those Skiving Snackboxes…"

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Fred asked, newly arrived with George and sliding onto the bench opposite Ron. "Surely no Hogwarts Prefect would wish to skive off lessons?"

"With this Monday?" Ron asked grumpily, shoving his timetable under Fred's nose. The older Weasley looked over the day and whistled.

"Fair point, little bro. You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because we haven't found a way to stop the bleeding yet, it'll go on until you shrivel up." George chipped in with inappropriate cheer, helping himself to a kipper. Ron appeared to consider it, then shook his head.

"Think I'll take the lessons."

"What are Skiving Snackboxes?" Sarah asked, not having seen the items yet. Hermione frowned.

"Double ended chews. One end gives you an…affliction…that takes you out of class, the other cures it so you have a free hour." She said, her voice thick with disapproval. "And you, Fred and George, can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board."

"Says who?" George asked, with an expression of innocent surprise.

"Says me," Hermione said, "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it." Ron said hastily, causing Hermione to give him a betrayed look and Fred and George to snicker.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough," Fred said, buttering a crumpet, "You're starting your Fifth year, you'll be desperate for a Snackbox before long."

"Why would starting Fifth Year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" Hermione asked. George's expression went dreamy.

"Fifth year's OWL year. Your exams are coming up, you'll have your nose so close to grindstone it'll be rubbed raw."

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to OWL's." Fred said happily. "Tears and tantrums…fainting fits…"

"Nightmare of a year, the Fifth. If you care about exam results, anyway…Fred and I managed easily enough…"

"Yeah, you got what, three OWLs each?" Ron butted in.

"Yep." Said Fred, looking unconcerned. "But we reckoned that our futures lie outside the field of academic achievement."

"We seriously debated if we should even come back for our Seventh Year." George chipped in. "Now that we've got-"

Sarah shot him a glare, she didn't want it known that she had given a thousand golden Galleons- the prize monies of the Tri-Wizard Tournament- to the Twins last year. George hastily changed his sentence.

"-Now that we've got our OWLs. I mean, do we really need NEWTs? But what with Percy attaching himself to the Ministry, we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early."

Sarah had heard about that; the third oldest Weasley brother had apparently told his parents that Dumbledore was falling, and he refused to fall with him and his supporters. Percy had stormed out, and not spoken to his parents since, preferring to be a Ministry stooge. Sarah couldn't say she was surprised, from what she remembered of Percy.

"We're not going to waste our last year here, though. Market research, evaluate what students want from a joke shop and produce products to fit demand…" Fred was saying.

"But where are you going to get the gold to start a joke shop? You're going to need all the ingredients, and materials, and premises…"Hermione responded. Sarah pointedly did not look at the twins, instead looking at Orion and working on keeping her hair and eyes normal colour: Orion looked amused.

"Good thing your hair is usually red." He muttered- Sarah punched his arm and ignored his exaggerated wince.

"Ask no questions we'll tell you no lies, Hermione. Come on George- times wasting." Fred said before the Twins walked away, both carrying a stack of toast.

"What did that mean?" Hermione muttered. "Does that mean they have gold already?"

"You know, I've been wondering," Ron said slowly, brow furrowed. "They got me some new dress robes this summer, but I can't understand where they got the Galleons…"

Sarah, ignoring the amusement that Orion was still hiding, decided to steer the conversation away from dangerous waters.

"Do you think they were right, that this year's going to be really tough?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. Bound to be." Ron said. "OWLs are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice later this year as well, Bill told me."

"Do you know what you want to do after Hogwarts?" Sarah asked, curious. Ron looked slightly sheepish.

"Not really…except…"

"What?" Sarah urged. Ron sighed.

"Well…it would be cool to be an Auror." Ron said, in a tone that suggested he was trying to be off hand. Sarah considered. Before meeting Orion she would have fervently agreed, but now she had to think… Aurors had to follow rules. They had to obey orders from the Ministry. When there wasn't a Dark Lord wandering around they basically went around arresting people like Mundungus Fletcher, the annoying, smelly but ultimately harmless thief who was part of the Order. Could Sarah do that? Would her tendency to disregard rules and disobey authority to do what she thought right really work as an Auror? Probably not, she thought glumly.

"I suppose it would be cool." She agreed, keeping her thoughts hidden. "What about you, Orion?"

Orion glanced at Theia, who smiled.

"Freelance cursebreaker. Lets me wander freely…can't leave Theia to wander the world looking for mythical beasties on her own."  
"I can take care of myself." Theia pointed out mildly. Orion gave her an amused look.

"But the question is _will_ you? Besides, I've always enjoyed travelling and tomb-robbing. Most of my fondest memories between leaving Hogwarts and coming here involve both activities."

Sarah chose to ignore the reference to his time as Lord Lament, and looked at Hermione. The intelligent girl shrugged.

"I don't know. I'd like to do something worthwhile." She said.

"An Auror's worthwhile!" Ron said.

"Yes, but it isn't the only worthwhile thing. I mean, if I could take SPEW further…"

Ron and Sarah exchanged looks as they stood from the table, to go to their first lesson. Orion moved across to Theia and cast a spell silently; Sarah felt a sudden urge to look away and classed it as a powerful Notice-me-not spell: only someone who had noticed the spell being cast would look at Theia and Orion. Sarah turned away, hearing Orion speak softly to Theia.

"Don't cause too much trouble." He said, with a smile in his voice.

"I'll do my best." Theia murmured, before Orion kissed her, dropping the Notice-me-not as they broke apart, the two splitting up to go to their respective lessons.

"Paranoid, aren't you?" Sarah muttered. Orion gave a quick, crooked smile.

"Always. I'm not supposed to know Theia all that well, remember?"

"Hmm."

"Something I've been wondering since Ron said about those Dress Robes…who did you attend the Yule Ball with last year?"  
Sarah flushed slightly.

"Who did you attend with?" she asked, hoping to deflect the question entirely. Orion shrugged.

"Parvati Patil." He admitted. Sarah stumbled, she was so surprised.

"How did you manage that?" she hissed. Orion smiled.

"Natural charm, overwhelming charisma and the fact that no-one else had asked her a few days before the Ball. So, who did you attend with? More to that point, who did Ron attend with? Wait…"

Sarah spoke before Orion finished his thought.

"Yes, Ron and I went together." She said. Orion laughed, and Sarah glared.

"So, how was it?"

"I strongly regretted becoming friends with him again. He spent most of the night grumbling about his robes and glaring at Hermione- probably jealous that she was with Krum." She said sourly. Orion snickered, although he admitted that he hadn't had the most enjoyable night either as they reached the History of Magic classroom. History of Magic was, by common consent, considered the most boring class at Hogwarts. Professor Binns, the teacher, was a ghost who had simply never stopped coming to work, and his lessons, given in a wheezy, droning voice that possessed unprecedented soporific power, took the form of dry lectures that soon had the class dozing: only Hermione seemed able to resist. In past years Sarah had managed by copying the notes Hermione took, but in this case she saw a new way- the way Orion did it. Simply, Orion placed an ordinary looking quill on his parchment, tapped it with his wand and watched in satisfaction as it started to take notes on its own. Sarah leaned across to him.

"Is that a Quick-Quotes quill?" she asked. Orion shook his head.

"Similar spell, but it takes actual notes. No, it's a Dicta-quill. Not entirely sure it's allowed in the school rules, but Binns is hardly likely to notice." He replied in an undertone. Sarah nodded, impressed, before she leaned back and started to doze. An hour and a half later, Sarah was left with the vague impression that giant wars were quite an interesting topic- or would be, if they were taught by anyone else. She noticed Hermione shooting her and Ron filthy looks, though the blackest glare was reserved for Orion, who met it with an innocent gaze.

"How would it be," she asked Sarah and Ron in a cold tone, "If I refused to lend you two my notes this year?"

"We'd fail our OWL." Ron immediately said, trying to look beseeching. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Or we could get Orion to help." She pointed out.

"Oh, yeah…"

"Technically not cheating, Hermione. There aren't any rules forbidding Dicta-quills when in class. I think." Orion said. Ron nodded.

"We try to listen to him, Hermione, but we haven't got your brains or your memory or your concentration: you're just better than we are." The redhead said. Sarah nodded agreement, and Hermione looked slightly mollified as she led the way out into the damp courtyard. They found a somewhat sheltered corner, and Hermione wondered out loud what Snape would set them for the first lesson of the year. She also brought up a good point-

"I wonder why Snape seems to hate Sarah so much? I mean, Orion said he loved Lily, and Sarah looks just like her mother."

Sarah blanched at the implications of that. Fortunately, Orion had a theory.

"I wondered too, and I think that it's down to Snape. I mean, looking at a Potter who looked just like James would be a reminder of his years being tormented by the Marauders." He said, referencing himself. "But Sarah looks just like Lily. That would mean that every time Snape sees her he is reminded of his one real friend, a friend he drove away and betrayed. Looking at Sarah must make him hate himself even more…and he takes that out on Gryffindor."

Sarah conceded that that was possible, not bothering to hide her continuing disgust at the thought of Snape having a crush on her mother. The bell rang, and the four of them walked down to the dungeons, filing into the classroom and taking their usual table at the back: it was big enough for Orion to join them.

"Settle down." Snape said coldly, entering in a sweep of black robes. There was no real need for the call to order; the room had gone quiet the instant he closed the door, silenced by the mere presence of the Potions Master.

"Before we begin today's lesson," Snape said, gliding across to his desk and looking coldly around the room, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will all be sitting an important examination, during which you will have to demonstrate your knowledge of the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you all to gain an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, or suffer my…displeasure."

Icy black eyes rested on Neville, who gulped before Snape looked away and kept talking.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me. I take only the very best into my NEWT class, and as such many of us will certainly be saying goodbye."

This time the gaze fell upon Sarah, who gazed blandly back, not showing the pleasure she took in the thought of being able to give up Potions.

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell so, whether or not you intend to attempt NEWT, I advise you all to concentrate on maintaining the high standards I expect of my OWL classes. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredient you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so pay close attention to what you are doing."

Hermione sat up a little straighter.

"The ingredients and method are on the blackboard, everything you need is in the store cupboard, you have an hour and a half, begin." Snape said, accompanying this with flicks of his wand that caused writing to scroll across the blackboard and the supply cupboard to open. As Sarah had expected, Snape could hardly have set them a more difficult, fiddly option. The ingredients had to be added in precise quantities at precise times, the mixture required an exact number of stirs, first clockwise, then anti-clockwise, and the heat of the flames had to be lowered to an exact temperature for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion." Came the cold drawl of Snape, with ten minutes to go. Sarah flicked a sweat-soaked strand of hair away from her eyes and glanced around the dungeon. Her own cauldron was emitting clouds of dark grey steam; Ron's was spitting green sparks. Seamus was feverishly prodding at the flames at the base of his cauldron with his wand, as the fire seemed to be going out. The surface of Hermione's potion, however, was a mist of shimmering silver vapour, and, from the sour expression Snape wore as he hovered over Orion, Sarah suspected that her silver-handed alternate had also succeeded. The Potions teacher swept past Hermione without comment, meaning he couldn't find anything to criticise, but he stopped at Sarah with a horrible smirk on his face.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly, they considered Snape taunting Sarah to be the best part of any lesson.

"The Draught of Peace." Sarah said tersely. You know what it is, you smug bastard, she mentally added.

"Tell me, Potter, can you read?" Snape said, in a softly poisonous tone. Draco Malfoy laughed, but Orion had started to hum the tune of 'That's Amore' and Malfoy flushed. Snape glared at Orion, but was too focused on Sarah.

"Yes, I can read." Sarah gritted out, clenching her fist and feeling her fingernails dig into her palm.

"Read the third line of instructions for me, Potter."

Sarah squinted at the blackboard, peering through fogged up glasses and the haze of multi-coloured vapour now filling the dungeon.

"'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times anti-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.'"

Her heart sank. She had not added syrup of hellebore, instead proceeding straight on to the fourth line of instructions.

"Did you do everything on the third line of instructions, Potter?"

"No." Sarah said quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No." Sarah repeated, more loudly. Snape gave her a cold glare.

"No, you missed out the syrup of hellebore, making this mess utterly worthless. _Evanesco."_

A wave of the wand, and Sarah was left standing next to a cauldron which had had its contents vanished. As Snape turned away, Sarah could have sworn she heard a comment unfavourably comparing her potions ability to her mother, and her anger almost boiled over. Sarah missed whatever Snape said next, too busy forcing down a spike of rage, but she noticed everyone taking flagons of potion up to the desk and so she began to clear away her things, seething. Her potion was no worse than Ron's, now smelling strongly of rotten eggs, or Neville's, which was the consistency of just-mixed cement and congealing in the cauldron, but it was her who would be receiving no marks this day. When the bell finally rang Sarah was the first out of the dungeon, striding along in a considerable temper. She was already started on lunch when the other three arrived.

"That was really unfair." Hermione said consolingly, sitting down next to Sarah and helping herself to shepherd's pie. "Your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's- it shattered his flagon and set his robes on fire."

Sarah scowled.

"Yeah, well, since when has Snape been fair to me?" she grumbled. None of the other three answered: they all knew that Snape and Sarah had hated each other absolutely since the very first year Sarah had attended Hogwarts.

"I did think he would be a bit better this year," Hermione said in a tone of disappointment, " What with…you know…" a quick glance around: there were a dozen empty seats either side of them "Now that he's in the Order and everything."

"Being on the side of the angels won't change his fundamental personality." Orion drawled. Sarah shot a glare at him.

"You could have warned me about that Potion." She grumbled. Orion quirked an eyebrow.

"Warned you? I told you, I hardly remember everything. A Potions lesson where Snape was unfair to me? Not worth remembering."

"And yet you made the Potion easily. I saw you, you were hardly concentrating." Sarah accused. Orion sighed.

"I copied down all the instructions at the start of the lesson just in case, and I've made the Draught of Peace a lot."

"Copied down the instructions?" Hermione asked. Orion nodded.

"Didn't you see Sarah having to squint to see the board, and her glasses were all fogged up? I wear contact lenses, true, but having the instructions close at hand is still useful.

Sarah looked at Orion thoughtfully.

"You wear contact lenses? I assumed you'd had some kind of magical procedure to fix your vision."

Orion shook his head.

"Just a pair of lenses charmed to be unbreakable and self-clean. You should probably use a pair- we'll have to ask Theia, though, she did the charms. I'm a bit ham-handed when it comes to charms."

"Yes, we noticed. And Malfoy did." Sarah commented dryly, remembering the Confundus charm and finally managing to press down her anger. Orion sighed deeply.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" he asked. Sarah smiled.

"It reminds me that you aren't perfect."

"I'm flattered that you feel I'm so wonderful you have to bring me down like that." Orion deadpanned.

After lunch Sarah went to Divination with Ron, while Orion and Hermione had Ancient Runes. Sarah spent an hour contemplating the merits of trying to drop Divination and join them, and wondering if all the false predictions of her death Professor Trelawney made were balanced out by the true predictions she had made. Sarah thought not, given that the only prediction Sarah knew Trelawney had made was the one at the end of Sarah's Third year. When the lesson was over Sarah made her way to Defence Against the Dark Arts, half-heartedly listening to Ron whining about the homework they had all the way. They re-joined Orion and Hermione before they entered the room, finding Professor Umbridge already seated at her desk, wearing the same fluffy pink cardigan as last night and with a black velvet bow on top of her head. Sarah was strongly reminded of a fashion deprived toad with a large fly perched unwisely on its head. The class was quiet as they entered the realm of this unknown quantity; Sarah, who knew more than most, sat next to the source of her information, Orion.

"Well. Good afternoon!" Umbridge said brightly. Sarah immediately pegged the cheer as false, and started to actively dislike Umbridge, more than she had done already from what Orion and Theia had told her about the woman. A few people mumbled 'Good afternoon' in reply. Umbridge clucked her tongue.

"Tut tut, that won't do."

Sarah added extra points to how much she hated Umbridge. Who actually _said_ 'Tut tut', rather than making the noise? Umbridge was talking again.

"That won't do, now, will it? When I say 'Good afternoon, class' I would like you to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. One more time? Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon Professor Umbridge." Sarah droned along with the class, wishing that she was anywhere else. Even facing Voldie- at least he didn't talk to her like she was five.

"There now," Umbridge said, sickeningly sweet. "That wasn't too difficult, was it now? Wands away and quills out, please."

The class exchanged gloomy looks: the order 'wands away' had never been followed by an interesting lesson. Sarah slid her wand back into her sleeve where, following Orion's lead, she had begun keeping it, and pulled out quill, ink and parchment. Umbridge tapped the blackboard with her own wand, and Sarah watched silently as words appeared on it.

Defence Against the Dark Arts

A return to basic principles

Sarah silently wondered if 'Point wand, scream spell, run for your life' counted as basic principles. Probably not Ministry approved ones.

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Umbridge said, clasping her hands and turning to face the class. "The constant changing of teacher, most of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry—approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in you OWL year. You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory centred, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year."

Sarah felt her heart sink at the phrase 'Theory centred'. That couldn't be good. Sourly, Sarah copied down the Course Aims that appeared on the blackboard, and mumbled assent when Umbridge asked if they all had a copy of Wilbert Slinkhard's _Defensive Magical Theory._ Sarah had looked at the book, and agreed with Orion that it was offensively dull, unbelievably naïve and generally a waste of good trees. Orion was of the opinion that Wilbert Slinkhard must be a Death Eater trying to sabotage the Ministry- Sarah thought he was just a moron. Umbridge set them all to read the first chapter of the book and sat at her desk, looking at them with pouchy eyes. Sarah just sat and stared at the book: of all the class only Orion seemed to be reading, but as Sarah glanced across she saw that he was reading a completely different book disguised as _Defensive Magical Theory._ Surprisingly, Hermione hadn't even opened the book, rather she was sitting with her hand in the air, looking straight at Umbridge who, rather rudely, was completely ignoring her. A short while later, when the majority of the class were sitting staring at Hermione rather than reading, Umbridge was finally forced to address the issue.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked, trying to sound as though she had just noticed Hermione.

"Not about the chapter, no." Hermione said.

"Well, we're reading just now," Umbridge said, showing small, pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of the class."

"I have a _query_ about your course aims." Hermione said, and Sarah could swear that she heard sarcasm in her friend's voice.

"And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I should think the course aims are perfectly clear."

"And yet there is nothing in them about actually _using_ magic." Hermione said. Sarah, forewarned by Orion, didn't look, but most of the class gawped at the blackboard. Umbridge gave a little laugh that sent a tingle of irritation down Sarah's spine.

 _"_ _Using_ defensive spells? Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use defensive spells. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

Not unless she looks like a fly one day, Sarah thought.

"We're not going to practise magic?" Ron exclaimed loudly. Sarah wondered if it was an act or he'd just forgotten that Orion had warned them about this part of Umbridge's 'teaching' style.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr- "

"Weasley." Ron snapped, thrusting his fist into the air. Smiling widely, Umbridge turned away from him and Sarah added her to the special place of hatred in her heart that she normally reserved for Voldemort and Draco Malfoy. How one person managed to annoy Sarah on every single level, she couldn't understand. Sarah put her hand into the air, along with Hermione. Umbridge turned the infuriating fake smile back onto Hermione.

"You wanted to ask something else, Miss Granger?"

"Yes. Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?"

"Are you a Ministry trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked, in a tone as sweet as treacle. Sarah bit down her automatic response of 'No, I'm not a moron.'

"No, but-" Hermione started. Umbridge cut her off.

"Well then, I'm afraid that you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised a new course of study, to be carried out in a secure, risk-free environment-"

"What use is that?" Sarah demanded, her temper boiling over. "If we're attacked, it won't be risk free!"

"Hand, Miss Potter!" Umbridge sang out. Sarah struggled with a desire to leap up and test how well Umbridge knew _her_ Defence with a few curses, but restrained the urge that she fervently hoped was bleeding over from Voldemort. Instead she thrust her hand into the air, but Umbridge turned away from her. However, several other people now raised their hands, and Umbridge couldn't ignore them all.

"And you are?" she said, looking at Dean.

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr Thomas?"

"Well, like Sarah said, if we're attacked it won't be risk free."

"I repeat," Umbridge said, a horrible smirk on her pasty face, "Do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"I'm not talking about-"

Umbridge talked over him.

"I do not wish to criticise, but you have been exposed to some very unorthodox and irresponsible wizards in this class…even a dangerous half-breed."

Sarah clenched her jaw at the slur against Lupin.

"If you mean Professor Lupin, he was one of the best teachers we ever-" Dean started.

"Hand, Mr Thomas! As I was saying- you have been introduced to spells that are not age-appropriate, complex and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day-"

"No we haven't!" Hermione protested.

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand and, once again, Umbridge turned away from her, now rambling on about Moody last year- or Barty Crouch, actually. Odd that the second best Defence teacher had been a Death Eater. Sarah fumed as she listened to the idiot woman pronounce that it would be possible to pass the practical portion of the OWL by just knowing the theory and casting the spell from that, and saw her chance to cut in.

"What good will theory be in the real world?" Sarah demanded. Umbridge turned her gaze onto her.

"This is school, not the real world."

"So we aren't supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"

"There Is nothing waiting out there." Umbridge snapped. Sarah did her utmost to suppress her temper.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, her voice just below shouting.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" Umbridge asked, her voice poisonously sweet. Sarah barely noticed Orion sit up straight as she replied in a coldly mocking voice.

"Oh, let me think… maybe Lord Voldemort?"

Ron gasped; Lavender Brown let out a small scream; Neville fell off his chair and Sarah almost lost her temper entirely then and there. It was just a _name!_

 _"_ Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Potter." Umbridge said. Sarah would have responded, but Orion gripped her wrist, a silent message to let him handle it and stay calm- or at least not lose her temper entirely.

"Now, let me make a few things clear." Umbridge said, standing up.

"You have been told that a certain Dark Wizard has returned from the dead. _This is a lie."_

Sarah wanted to shout that it wasn't a lie, but Orion spoke first, his voice silky with menace. That was something Sarah particularly envied about him, his ability to convey unutterable threats just in his tone.

"As the Ministry has been saying. Are we to take that to mean that there are no Dark Wizards out there? Not even the favourite scapegoat of the Ministry, Sirius Black?" asked Orion. Umbridge, cut off, was so shocked she didn't even reprimand him for not raising his hand. Orion smirked and continued.

"Of course, given that Sarah here was kidnapped via a Portkey that the Death Eater Barty Crouch set up, something that he admitted to doing while masquerading as Alastor Moody, and Cedric Diggory returned dead, one might wonder what the Ministry thinks is a reasonable explanation for said kidnapping?"

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident. The Ministry of Magic guarantees you will be safe from Dark Wizards." Umbridge snapped, flushing blotchily. Orion raised a narrow eyebrow.

"I would be more inclined to believe that if Sirius Black was not still on the run, and if a second Death Eater had not managed to escape Azkaban and spend last year hiding in the school." He responded coldly. Umbridge stared at him.

"What is your name?" she asked. Orion sneered slightly.

"Argent."

Umbridge started to smirk, breathing fast, a glitter of triumph in her eyes.

"Oh, I am sure you would know all about Sirius Black…after all, is he not your father?"

All the class looked in horror at Orion, who didn't appear to react- Sarah saw his left hand clench slightly though. Umbridge continued, her eyes shining with glee.

"I wonder, does Miss Potter know that her little friend is the son of a man who betrayed her parents? Do you aspire to follow in the footsteps of your family and become a convicted criminal?"

"No, actually. Even if I did aspire to follow my father I wouldn't be a _convicted_ criminal…after all, my father never received a trial, so he is merely an _alleged_ criminal. Besides that, I have never met my father, so I would hope that Sarah would judge me by myself rather than by what Sirius Black did." Orion replied coldly. Umbridge glared at him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for lying."

Orion sneered coldly.

"Check the records, _Professor._ You'll see I'm telling the truth." He said coldly, as the bell rang and the class quickly packed away. Orion was the first out of the classroom, striding away in the opposite direction from the Great Hall and leaving Umbridge fuming in impotent rage.

"Go after him." Hermione hissed, pulling Sarah's bag from her. Sarah quickly followed Orion through the twining halls of the castle, into the more deserted sections. She caught up when Orion stopped sharply, abruptly slamming his left hand into the wall. To Sarah's shock, the wall actually cracked from the impact.

"I forget how much I hate that woman. Death really is too good for some people." Orion said conversationally. Sarah nodded silently, watching as he shook his hand.

"You were telling the truth, weren't you? About Sirius?"

"Yeah. He never actually got a proper trial, from what I know. Barty Crouch chucked him right into prison, and the Kiss-on-Sight order means he can't get a trial. But if we managed to get a lawyer and get him a successful trial…it could bring down the Ministry."

Sarah smiled, eyes glinting.

"Bring down the Ministry? Sounds like a plan, Orion. And if we can take down Umbridge along the way…"

"All to the good. Come on…I'm over my anger now. You?"

"I'm too hungry to be really angry anymore." Sarah replied with an easy smile, as the two of them headed back towards the Great Hall.

* * *

 **I was asked in a review about using the phrase 'She-Who-Could-Not-Be-Slayed' in other people's works- I have no problem with stuff from Emerald and Argent being used, so long as I get a brief acknowledgement for anything large like characters. Otherwise it's all good and can be freely used.**

 **Read and review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**_I don't own Harry Potter. Still._**

 ** _A bit shorter than the last two chapters, but that's just the way it fell. Also, this is confirmation that I have not abandoned Emerald and Argent for Foxes Fate._**

* * *

Dinner in the Great Hall was a decidedly odd experience for Sarah. While she was relieved that some of the stares had been shifted from her, the way that the whispers and stares were focussing on Orion made her increasingly nervous. Orion was more even tempered than Sarah, but the episode with Umbridge showed he had his limit…if he snapped, there would be absolute chaos. Fortunately, Orion took it all in good humour.

"You know," he said, fairly loudly, "You would think that the Gryffindor's would actually confront me directly rather than whispering like Slytherins. And the Slytherins should maybe live up to their name and be subtle for once?"

As the Gryffindors flushed Sarah nodded.

"The Houses certainly have less differences than I thought." She agreed blandly, ignoring the Slytherin and Gryffindor glares. They would get over it, she thought unsympathetically. Orion was talking again.

"As well as that, I would expect them to have at least some intelligence. It's like I heard happened in your Second Year, Sarah: they go out of their way to offend people they're afraid of. You would think that they would try to get on the good side of someone who they are frightened of. And the Hufflepuffs are supposed to be all fair minded- they're condemning me based on who my father was!"

"No-one ever said that students have any more common sense than adults." Theia commented from her place beside Orion.

"And these lot are particularly bad. I wonder if they realise that by picking on you they're picking on an orphan? That's right up there with kicking puppies in my book." Orion said idly, looking at Sarah. Pretty much all of the other students who could hear the conversation were looking uncomfortable now, and Sarah decided that it was probably time to stop Orion from tormenting them, satisfying as watching a good three quarters of the school squirm was.

"Come on," Sarah said, "All the staring is getting to me."

Orion murmured something to Theia, who nodded and wandered off as Orion and Hermione stood with Sarah. Ron looked longingly at his half eaten dessert, but obediently followed them as they strode out of the hall and along the corridors to the Gryffindor tower.

"It's been a long day." Sarah grumbled, feeling as though she had been back for a week. If Orion's OWL year really had been worse than this she was surprised that he had passed any of his exams. Hermione glanced at Sarah, but didn't say anything as Sarah gave the password to open the Common Room door. The four of them entered and flopped down in chairs next to the fire: almost everyone was still at dinner and the room was practically empty. Orion leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"At least Umbridge didn't give me detention." He commented. Sarah looked at him.

"Are her detentions that bad?" she asked. Orion cracked open one eye, and held out his right hand, palm down.

"See on the back?" he asked. Sarah squinted, and saw a faint tracing of white scar tissue. It looked like…words.

"'I must not tell lies'. How did that happen?" Hermione demanded, sounding horrified. Orion sighed.

"Umbridge made me write lines, with a quill that used my blood as the ink. She made sure to give me very regular detentions…the scar's actually faded quite a bit over the years."

"That's horrible!" Hermione said. Orion shrugged.

"All in the past now. I'm mainly telling you so that you know to be careful around her- she'll be trying to give you detention, Sarah. And me too, probably."

"We should do something about her." Sarah said sourly. Orion, eyes closed again, smiled.

"Murder is always an option." He suggested. Sarah considered.

"There are a lot of stairs in Hogwarts…"

"Sarah! I can't believe you're even considering this!" Hermione squawked. Orion laughed.

"Good thing I put up that privacy charm, isn't it? Calm down Hermione, we aren't going to murder Umbridge. Probably."

Sarah put on a disappointed expression, more to wind up Hermione than any other reason. It didn't work, surprisingly, and Hermione slumped down and coaxed Crookshanks onto her lap, scratching the cat behind the ears in a desultory fashion.

"How could Dumbledore hire that woman?" she complained. Ron shrugged.

"Probably wasn't any other choice. Besides, we've never had many great DADA teachers- only Lupin." He said. Hermione scowled and nodded. Orion pulled out a mirror and balanced it on his seat, just as the face of Theia appeared in it.

"This could be more convenient, but the modifications seem to be working." Theia said. Sarah glanced at the mirror and raised an eyebrow- the image of Theia wasn't moving.

"Sound only, so that Theia doesn't have to hold it up in front of her face." Orion explained. Sarah nodded.

"So, do you have a plan for bringing down Umbridge?" she asked. Orion sighed.

"It's all a cycle. Umbridge is linked to Fudge, so we have to bring down Fudge to bring down Umbridge. The best way to do that would be public humiliation or proving that Voldemort is back. If we could get Sirius a trial the truth would end Fudge. But…"

"We can't get Sirius a trial without the Kiss-on-Sight order being rescinded. We can't have the order rescinded unless it is seen that Sirius never got a trial, and Fudge and Umbridge will cover that up, so we have to deal with Fudge to get the documents to spark the trial that would bring down Fudge." Sarah said gloomily. Orion nodded.

"A cycle, see?"

"Don't you have even a poor plan?" asked Ron. Orion considered, and so did Sarah.

"Amelia Bones is supposed to be a fair person." Theia said quietly. Sarah frowned slightly.

"The head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? Wouldn't she have access to trial records?"

"Not sure. Not if the records are sealed by the Minister. Of course, if Umbridge does as I said and checks if there are records…"

"If Bones is there to check as well, she'll have her proof to rescind the Kiss-on-Sight order!"

"But Umbridge and Fudge will probably try to cover it up." Orion finished. Sarah swore, and Hermione gave her a reproving look.

"So we go on as we have been? Try to keep our heads down, hope Voldie does something stupid and reveals himself?" she asked sourly. Orion smiled.

"Odds are Voldie _will_ do something and reveal himself- he isn't exactly a full shilling, is he? But I didn't say we had to keep our heads down. I'll owl Amelia Bones, it might be more believable if I play the pitiable orphan card, maybe something will get done. I just won't get my hopes up that the Ministry sanctioned scapegoat of the past few years will be miraculously cleared of all charges."

Sarah shrugged and muttered agreement, but Hermione had been distracted by Fred and George who, in a corner of the common room, were handing out something from paper bags to a bunch of unsuspecting First-Years.

"That's it, they've gone too far!" Hermione said, looking angry. Ron blinked.

"It might not be what it looks like." He suggested weakly. Hermione gave him a look that, in Sarah's opinion, was as effective as a volley of Unforgivable curses in silencing him.

"You know as well as I do that those things they're giving out are Puking Pastilles or Nosebleed Nougat or-"

"Blackout Bites?" Orion suggested, looking amused. Sarah rolled her eyes at him.

"Fainting Fancies." She corrected as the First Years, with a minimum of drama, slumped to the floor.

"I think mine sounds better." Orion opined as people laughed at the First years. Hermione squared her shoulders and marched across to the Twins. Ron shifted as though he wold get up, then sank down into his chair.

"She's got it under control." He said, under the sceptical gaze of Sarah and Orion. Orion shook his head, but said nothing. Hermione had reached Fred and George, who were now making observations on clipboards while their friend Lee Jordan went around inserting purple sweets into the mouths of the unconscious First-years.

"That's enough!" Hermione snapped, drawing the attention of Fred, who tried to play dumb.

"Yeah, I think the dose is large enough." He said. Hermione fixed him with a glare that didn't seem to faze him.

"I told you this morning that you can't test this rubbish on students!"

"Actually, you only said we couldn't advertise for testers. And we're paying them." George protested.

"I don't care! It could be dangerous!"

"Rubbish." Fred said, unwisely provoking Hermione still further.

"You know, she does actually have a point." Sarah commented to Orion and the mirror image of Theia. Orion nodded, and Theia gave verbal agreement. Hermione was still menacing the Twins. Luckily, the First-Years were beginning to wake up, which would hopefully forestall an explosion from Hermione- unless the Twins said something stupid.

"Feeling all right?" George asked a small girl lying at his feet. She blinked up at him.

"I think so." She said, a little shakily.

"Excellent." Beamed Fred, but Hermione snatched both the clipboard and the bag of Fancies from his hands.

"It is not excellent!"

"They're alive, aren't they?" Fred said. Orion buried his head in his hands, and Sarah heard him mumble something that she was sure contained the phrase 'Put the shovel down'. Sarah had to agree, the Twins needed to stop digging the hole they were in deeper.

"What if one of them was hurt?" Hermione demanded. "What if them got really ill?"

"We're not going to make them ill, we test all of our products on ourselves first. This is just to see if they work the same on everyone." Fred said. Orion sighed, and even Sarah could spot the logical fallacy in that- what if the Fancies _didn't_ work the same on everyone, and hurt someone? Hermione, however, seemed in no mood for logic.

"If you don't stop this I'll-"

"Put us in detention?" Fred asked, in a voice that suggested he'd like to see her try. George smirked.

"Make us write lines?" he suggested. Onlookers were laughing: Sarah, Orion and Ron, who all knew Hermione, shrank back into their seats as Hermione drew herself up to her full height, eyes narrowed and hair seeming to crackle with electricity. Her voice quavered with anger.

"No," she said quietly, "But I would write to your mother."

The Twins lost their smiles in an instant.

"You wouldn't." George said in horror, backing away from her. Hermione smiled grimly.

"Oh yes I would. I can't stop you eating the stupid things yourselves, but you're not giving them to the First-Years."  
Fred and George looked stunned; it was clear that they considered Hermione's threat to be below the belt. With a triumphantly threatening look Hermione shoved the clipboard and bag of sweets back into Fred's arms and stalked back to her chair by the fire.

"Thank you for your support, Ron." She said. Ron had sunk so far down in his chair that his nose was level with his knees.

"You had it handled." He mumbled. Hermione eyed him coldly as Orion and Sarah went back to homework, with the occasional comment by Theia. After a minute or so Hermione snapped her book shut.

"Oh, it's no good. I can't concentrate now. I'm going to bed."

She opened her back and pulled out two misshapen woolly objects, placing them on a table and covering them with screwed up bits of parchment and a broken quill.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked cautiously. Hermione glanced at him.

"They're hats for House-Elves." She said briskly, packing her books away. "I did them over the summer. I'm a slow knitter, but now that I'm back at school and can perform magic I should be able to make lots more."

"You're leaving out hats for House-Elves. And covering them up with rubbish first." Ron said slowly. Sarah exchanged a glance with Orion, who shrugged.

"Yes." Hermione said, swinging her bag onto her back. Ron frowned.

"You're trying to trick them into picking up clothes! You want to set them free when they don't want to be free!"

"Of course they want to be free!" Hermione said haughtily. Sarah raised an eyebrow, remembering that of all the Elves she had ever met only Dobby showed any indication of wanting to be free- and he was, well, a nutcase. Hermione was glaring at Ron.

"Don't you dare touch those hats Ron!" she said, before turning on her heel and leaving. Ron waited until she had left, then cleared the rubbish off the hats. Orion sighed.

"Move your hand." He said, before brandishing his wand and Vanishing the hats in two quick movements. Ron looked at him in horror.

"Technically Hermione only told _you_ not to touch the hats. Also, if I remember rightly, the Elves took it as an insult and refused to clean the Tower. Dobby ended up taking all the hats and doing all the cleaning." Orion said with a shrug. Sarah shrugged.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her, I suppose. Can you give me a hand with this essay?"

Orion nodded.

"No problem. But just this one for Snape. It's been a long day."

The next morning Hermione looked quite pleased as she sat at the breakfast table. Ron made the mistake of asking what she was happy about, to which she replied that it looked like the House-Elves did want their freedom after all, as the hats were gone. Sarah held a guilt-free expression and envied Orion, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Theia and Luna today. Sarah just hoped Ron would stay quiet. That day they had Double Charms, where they sat through a talk on how important OWLs were and then revised Summoning Charms, something Sarah had mastered last year and so was easy, although she didn't appreciate the large amount of homework they were set. The next lesson was Double Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall gave a similar speech.

"You cannot pass an OWL without serious application, practice and study" she said, looking around the room, "However, I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an OWL in Transfiguration so long as they put in the work."

Neville made a little noise of disbelief, and McGonagall turned her gaze onto him.

"Yes, you too, Longbottom. There is nothing wrong with your work except lack of confidence."

And a poorly matched wand, Sarah mentally added. She wondered if she could find a way to help him in that regard. The Professor continued, "Today we are starting on Vanishing Spells, which are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until NEWT level."

Sarah was going to kill Orion. He had told them that Conjuring like he usually did in duels was easy. Although…with tutoring from him Sarah had become quite proficient in Transfiguration, better than Hermione in fact. It seemed that, much like Orion, her strengths lay in brute force spells and Transfiguration. Sarah looked at the snail she was supposed to be Vanishing. This was the important thing, she knew: Orion had explained that the incantation was much less important for Transfiguration than other disciplines. To work Transfiguration Orion tended to visualise the transformation and push his magic to replicate it, a method Sarah had copied. Focusing, Sarah closed her eyes and imagined the snail slowly disappearing from existence. She said the incantation, opened her eyes, and blinked in shock at her empty desk.

"I did it." She muttered, not entirely believing it. Professor McGonagall walked across and blinked owlishly at the empty desk.

"Well done Miss Potter. I see you have managed on your first try. Remarkable. I wonder, can you do it again?"

Sarah shrugged and agreed to try. This time, under the eyes of half the class, Sarah kept watching the snail, looking with interest as it slowly became paler and paler before fading entirely. McGonagall nodded.

"Not quite as fast as it should be but excellent for a second try. Mr Argent, would you care to try?"

Orion smiled, drawled the incantation and flicked his wand. The snail vanished almost instantaneously, and McGonagall gave a brief smile.

"Well done. Ten points to Gryffindor, both of you." She said. Everyone else went back to practising, and Sarah watched with interest as Orion leaned across to Neville, engaging him in conversation and making suggestions as to how he could improve his spellwork. Sarah leaned over to them.

"How come my snail took ages to Vanish but yours went almost immediately?" she asked Orion, genuinely curious. Orion glanced at her.

"Partly practice. Also, the process I use- the one you copied- does have that as a flaw if you aren't entirely confident in it. It usually takes practice to get the Transfiguration to work almost immediately." He replied, before turning back to Neville, who was still struggling. Orion eyes the wand Neville was holding.

"Neville," he said delicately, "Whose wand is that you're using?"

Neville looked at Orion in confusion and embarrassment.

"My dad's. My Gran says that I should use it." He muttered. Orion carefully drew his features into an expression of sympathy.

"I'm sure your dad would be proud of you," he said carefully, "But wands are…temperamental sometimes. You know that most wands won't work properly for someone who wasn't…chosen…by the wand?"

Neville's expression suggested that it was news to him, so Orion continued. McGonagall seemed to be surreptitiously listening in, but she looked almost approving, Sarah thought.

"For instance…well, Sarah and I are a bad example, our wands work the same for both of us for some reason," Orion said, managing to look confused despite knowing full well why their wands worked just as well for either of them, "But if I used Ron's wand, for example, it wouldn't work correctly. So your dad's wand might be holding you back…here, try this. It's a 'blank' wand, so it isn't as good as a personalised wand, but it won't resist you." Orion said. Sarah wondered how much thought Orion had put into setting this up, as Neville took the wand and, on Orion's advice, cast a few minor spells that worked almost flawlessly before returning to Vanishing Spells under Orion's tutelage.

By the end of the lesson Sarah had managed to Vanish a snail almost as fast as Orion, and Hermione had also managed to Vanish her snail: as such, they were the only ones not told to practice the spell, although Neville had managed to make his snail considerably paler. McGonagall held Orion and Sarah back for a few minute after the class and thanked them for helping Neville, telling them that she would see to it that he got a wand suited to him as soon as possible.

"That's our good deed for the day. Now I'm free to terrorise small children and sneakily injure Malfoy." Orion said happily. Sarah decided that he must be joking, though if he did injure Malfoy…she couldn't find it in herself to care.

Ron, now panicking over the amount of homework he had to do, spent much of the lunch hour in the library, the other three helping him and working on their own homework before heading to Care of Magical Creatures. Perversely, Sarah had always liked Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid when he brought in dangerous creatures: it was at least interesting. Hopefully Professor Grubbly-Plank would have a similarly interesting lesson for them. The Professor was stood behind a wooden bench that looked to be covered in twigs, and she waited for the class to gather around. Malfoy and his cronies were snickering and looking at Sarah, and she idly wondered if the staff took bets on when a class would erupt into a full blown brawl.

"Can anyone tell me what these things are called?" Grubbly-Plank barked, waving at the twigs. Hermione's hand shot into the air: Malfoy, behind her back, did a buck-toothed imitation of her jumping up and down in her eagerness to answer. Parkinson shrieked in laughter and Sarah clenched her teeth. Happily, Parkinson's shriek turned into a real scream as the twigs leapt into the air and revealed themselves to be small, knobbly creatures. Parvati and Lavender cooed at them, which made Sarah roll her eyes. They were hardly as impressive as Hippogryphs or Salamanders. And the Blast Ended Skrewts…the less said about them the better.

"Kindly keep your voices down, girls!" Grubbly-Plank said sharply- and somewhat ironically, in Sarah's view-, scattering a handful of what looked like brown rice among the creatures. "So-anyone know the names of these creatures? Miss Granger?"

"Bowtruckles." Hermione said. "They're tree guardians, usually found in wand trees."

"Quite correct, five points to Gryffindor. Yes, these are Bowtruckles, and they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

"Woodlice." Hermione said promptly, and Grubbly-Plank nodded and told her to take another five points. The Professor warned them about the sharpness of the Bowtruckle's fingers, then told them to work in groups to draw and label a diagram of the creatures. They split up, Sarah being sent to collect the Bowtruckle. As it happened she found Draco Malfoy there at the same time. Malfoy was smirking, and Sarah wondered if cursing him would be worth the inevitable points loss and detention.

"What's the matter Potter?" Malfoy whispered, apparently having gotten over his Confundus charm incited embarrassment. "Not missing your oafish friend? Haven't you wondered why he isn't back Maybe he got into something too… _big_ for him."

Smirking triumphantly, Malfoy walked away, and Sarah raised an eyebrow at his back and walked across to Ron, Hermione and Orion. Orion was looking at Malfoy with a thoughtful expression, as the ferret boasted about his father's Ministry contacts and how Hagrid would be sacked even if he returned. Sarah saw Orion's lips move slightly, and his wand spark, almost unnoticeable. An instant later the Bowtruckle Malfoy was holding jerked wildly and lashed out at his hand with sharp fingers, leaving several deep scratches and provoking a girlish scream. Sarah looked at Orion reprovingly, but had to smile at the innocent expression he now wore. Even better, Malfoy dropped his Bowtruckle, and it sprinted off to the Forest, garnering Malfoy a scolding from Grubbly-Plank. Sarah was still chuckling as the bell rang and they set off to Herbology. Hermione scolded Orion, but Sarah could tell that her heart wasn't really in it. On the way they met Luna, whom Sarah hadn't really talked to since the train, despite sitting at a meal with her yesterday. She was wearing what looked like orange radishes for earrings today, but Sarah ignored that as Luna outright stated that she believed Sarah that Voldemort was back. Sarah had to say, she appreciated it. She hardly knew Luna, true, but she knew and liked Theia, so that was good enough. Parvati and Lavender were laughing at Luna's earrings.

"You know, it generally isn't polite to laugh at people behind their backs." Orion said quietly, and the two girls quieted quickly. Sarah smiled at Luna and thanked her for her support. It was at that point that Ernie Macmillan also said he believed her, which caused Sarah to wonder if his pompous vote was any better than Luna's oddity. Then again, support was support, and she had only known Luna by name and sight prior to this year: knowing Theia suggested that the oddness was mostly an act. Sarah put it out of her mind and went to Herbology. Once again they had a pre-lesson lecture on how hard OWL year was, before an hour and a half spent working with plants, after which the tired, smelly Gryffindors headed back to the castle for a wash and dinner.

"You would think that they could just get us all together on the first day back and give the whole of Fifth Year the 'OWLs are important' speech in one go." Orion commented, to Sarah's amusement.

With how much homework she had to do, Sarah was even more glad that Orion had forestalled her getting a detention with Umbridge, especially when she was reminded that the Gryffindor Quidditch team Keeper trials were on Friday. With that in mind, Sarah looked at how shifty Ron was acting and suspected he was planning to try out, but she decided to say nothing if he didn't want her to, instead badgering Orion over trying out. Orion stubbornly refused, pointing out that he was a Seeker and the Gryffindor team already had one- Sarah, in fact- but eventually acquiesced that he would at least attend the trials. Sarah fully intended to try to get Angelina to let him on the team as a reserve, though he would need a broomstick. A problem for another time she decided, as they worked on their homework. It was quite useful having Orion and Theia on call as well as Hermione- Hermione was smarter, but had a tendency to regurgitate textbook answers that were harder to understand than Orion's or Theia's answers. Sarah went to bed with most of her homework done, feeling rather more upbeat than she had yesterday.

The rest of the week passed in similar fashion, until they came to Friday, which dawned dull and sodden. Sarah spent the day wondering if Ron really was intending to join them at the Keeper try-outs, and why he hadn't asked her to help him, as she suspected he had been training alone. After dinner Sarah dragged Orion down to the pitch, despite his protests.

"I'm crippled, Sarah! I can hardly play a sport!" he said. Sarah gave him a level glare that he automatically shrank from.

"You're riding a broom, Orion. Not being able to run is hardly an issue. Besides, I'm probably the most likely person in the school to get injured, so Gryffindor needs another Seeker. Especially as Umbridge is after me."

Orion grumbled weakly, but Sarah shut him up with a glare. The rest of the team was already there. With the Keeper hopefuls clustered off to the side of the pitch. Angelina looked quizzically at Sarah and Orion. Sarah shrugged.

"Since I've been injured two out of three Quidditch finals, I thought it might be a good idea to have a backup Seeker, so I brought Orion along for you to test him." She said. Angelina looked at Orion thoughtfully.

"Can he fly?" she asked. Sarah rolled her eyes and pushed her Firebolt into Orion's hands without even looking at him. Orion sighed and kicked off, leaving his cane in Sarah's hands. Sarah had to admit, Orion was an excellent flier. Not quite as acrobatic as she was, his knee made it more difficult, but Sarah estimated that he was still a better flier than any other Seeker in the school. Except her, of course. Angelina looked impressed as he landed.

"Well, not sure how good you are at catching the Snitch, Argent. But you might as well come to some training sessions…I suppose Sarah has a point about her getting injured a lot. Now, we'd best get on to getting another Keeper, yes?"

Sarah shrugged and retrieved her broom from Orion, who walked off towards the stands. Sarah wasn't entirely sure why the whole team had to be here, especially since she was a Seeker- the position was probably the least social of the entire team. Nonetheless, she watched and gave her opinion on how well the Keeper hopefuls did. For the most part they were…well, not fabulous. The best two were actually Vicky Frobisher and George Hooper, but Hooper whines all the time and Frobisher had said that if Quidditch clashed with her Charms Club she'd put Charms first, which wasn't the best stance for a Quidditch player to take. After those two came Ron, who, in Angelina's opinion, would be decent with a bit of training. Sarah reckoned that Ron just had issues with confidence, and that he had more talent than he showed- at least, she hoped that was the case. Once the trials were over they headed back to the Common Room. They were walking in a group, with Sarah and Orion at the back, when a sharp spike of pain lanced through Sarah's forehead. She gasped and stumbled slightly, and Orion caught her forearm to keep her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her. Sarah managed a weak smile.

"Fine-" she started to lie, but Orion shook his head.

"Remember who you're talking to, Sarah. I _know_ you aren't fine. Your scar?"

Sarah nodded silently. Orion flicked his wand in what Sarah recognised as his preferred privacy charm before she spoke again.

"I really thought that Occlumency would help with my scar." Sarah said gloomily. Orion looked at her with sympathy.

"I should have done…although. I have a theory. Well, Theia has a theory."

"What?"

"You remember Theia saying that our attempts at testing out your Occlumency might be failing because our minds were basically the same?"

Sarah nodded, and Orion continued.

"Well, the scar holds a piece of Voldemort's soul. Occlumency is supposed to prevent outside influences, but…"

"That soul fragment is the conduit, and it's internal." Sarah muttered, seeing what he meant. "So how could I stop my scar from hurting?"

Orion hummed and chewed his lip in thought.

"I don't think you can." He eventually admitted. "I think that only Voldemort can stop his emotions from projecting onto you, just as your emotions are probably projecting onto him. However…in theory, Occlumency should be able to let to tell more easily if he is faking any visions he sends you."

"Like the vision of Sirius being tortured that he sent you during your Fifth year?" Sarah asked. Orion nodded, and changed the subject slightly.

"You know, I missed the Keeper try-outs in my Fifth year. I was in detention all week." He said. Sarah thought about that.

"So that means that when your scar hurt…"

"As far as I can recall, I was standing right next to Umbridge. The sadistic bitch was examining the cut in my hand. My scar hurting…just the icing on the cake concerning confirmation of how evil she is." Orion confirmed. Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"So is she a Death Eater or not?"

"Nope. Well, not really. She collaborated with Voldemort's government, if I recall correctly, and she is so biased against non-Purebloods, non-pure humans and so on that she almost seems like a caricature sometimes." He said. Sarah shuddered.

"She's practically worse than Voldemort. At least he doesn't have that sickeningly sweet falseness." She said. Orion laughed.

The team climbed through the portrait hole to the Common Room with Fred and George trying to persuade everyone to join a party, but Sarah managed to slip away to find Hermione. The smartest member of the trio was dozing in a chair, but she jerked awake as Sarah sat next to her.

"Hey," Sarah said, smiling. Hermione blinked sleepily at her, and looked around the Common Room.

"Oh, so Ron got the spot? Good. I'm just so...tired. I was up until one o'clock making more hats, they're disappearing like mad!"

Sarah glanced around the room and, indeed, there were woolly hats concealed all around the room were an unwary elf might pick them up. Sarah suspected that Orion was getting a lot of Vanishing Spell practice, and the thought made her force her face into neutrality.

"Sarah?" Hermione asked, and Sarah realised that she had lapsed into silence thinking about Orion Vanishing the hats.

"Oh…just glad that it's the weekend." She lied hastily. Hermione looked at her, but luckily she was too tired to question any further. Sarah stretched and sighed.

"All right, I'm going to bed. Tell Ron I've gone, would you?"

Hermione smiled.

"Oh good. If you're leaving that means I can too. I'm exhausted and I'd like to make some more hats tomorrow. You can help if you like, it's quite fun."

Sarah maintained her expression of vague interest through an act of superhuman determination.

"Oh…well, thanks for the offer, but I've got a load of homework to do…maybe another time, just not tomorrow." She said, and fled to the staircase, leaving a slightly disappointed looking Hermione behind.


	11. Chapter 11

_**As** **always, standard disclaimer.**_

* * *

Sarah got up early the next day, glad that it was the weekend. She walked down to the Common Room and found Orion already up, sitting at a table and tapping the end of a quill on the wood in a slow rhythm as he thought.

"Do you even sleep?" Sarah asked. Orion half smiled and shrugged.

"Of course. Just not much…habit, I guess. Besides, I have things to do."

"Letters to write? Who to?"  
"Bones. Advising her to look at the trial records for Sirius. Hopefully it'll have some kind of effect."

"You think it will?" Sarah asked, sceptical. Orion shrugged.

"We can but hope." He said. Sarah nodded and looked around the room, pausing as her gaze fell upon a small pile of paper with what looked like a woolly bladder hidden underneath it.

"What the hell is that? Isn't that one of Hermione's hats?" she said. Orion froze, his face settling into an expression of resignation.

"Oh, damn. I forgot to Vanish them last night." He said. Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Does it matter? For that matter, why don't you just tell Hermione why it isn't working?"

"Ah. Well. You see, I haven't just told Hermione about it for a variety of reasons. It's partly nostalgia for the good old days of naïveté, partly because it provides excellent Vanishing practice, but mostly because Hermione is, well, neurotic about it. I mean, she's basically ignoring every wish of the elves and all the notions of the Wizarding World. It's a great idea, but she's too…partisan. Too partisan about it, that's the word. Too radical."

"Still don't see why you don't just tell her." Sarah said. Orion carefully folded the parchment he had been writing on into an envelope and sealed it with a tap of his wand.

"Can I borrow Hedwig?" he asked. Sarah nodded, and followed him out of the Common Room. The castle was chilly, and Sarah cast a minor warming charm on herself as she walked along. As they walked Orion cleared his throat.

"Expanding upon what I said about Hermione," he said carefully, "It might be possible that I would tell her about the results of her little campaign to free the Elves, and she would desist. However, in this regard she has the unfortunate characteristics of a fanatic: that is, she utterly believes she is right and that anyone who disagrees is wrong. As you saw with Ron, when Ron told her that the Elves don't want to be freed she insisted that they have been brainwashed."

"They might well have been. But we don't have to stop her, as such, just…re-direct her. Make her see that trying to randomly free Elves is not only useless but also insulting."

Orion paused for a fraction of a step.

"That might be the key, convincing her that she is insulting the intelligence of the Elves by trying to trick them. For all her good intentions Hermione is committing the same mistake she hates: thinking that the Elves are less than human and so stupid enough to be tricked into being freed." He mused. Sarah shrugged.

"Think it'll work?"

"Maybe. Plan B is that we knock her out, tie her up and show her that Dobby is taking all the hats anyway and she's offending all the other Elves."

"That isn't a great plan."

"I prefer to wing things."

"And we've all seen how well that works out. Have you considered that maybe making plans sometimes would be a good idea?"

"Oh, excuse me, little Miss 'We'll fetch Lockheart, he'll help us get into the Chamber of Secrets'" Orion said. Sarah flushed at that reminder, and conceded that he had a point. Orion grinned, amused. The two of them took a diversion advised by Nearly-Headless Nick to avoid Peeves, and reached the Owlery. Sarah called Hedwig down, and helped Orion tie the note to the owl's leg. Sarah noticed a slight sadness in Orion's eyes, and wondered what had happened to Hedwig in his world. She would have to ask him, she decided. Just as the snowy white owl flapped away from the tower the caretaker, Filch, hobbled in, all malevolence and sour expression. Orion looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked, innocently. Filch seemed to quiver with indignation.

"I," he said, with a flat-footed step towards Orion and Sarah, "Have received a tip-off that you are intending to place a massive order for Dungbombs!"

Sarah stared at the caretaker in silent disbelief, while Orion's lip curled, seemingly of its own accord.

"Who told you that I was ordering Dungbombs?" Sarah eventually asked. Filch gave a self-satisfied hiss.

"I have my sources." He said. "Now, hand over whatever you're sending."

Sarah felt her own lips twist in derision.

"I've already sent it. Besides that, this is a school, not a prison, and you have no right to inspect _any_ of my mail, especially on the word of a source who is obviously an idiot." She said coldly. Filch seemed to swell in indignation, and Orion cut in.

"Besides that, why would Sarah or I send an owl order for Dungbombs when there is a Hogsmeade trip in a few weeks and we can buy plenty then?" he demanded. Filch glared at the two of them, then stalked off towards the door, pausing to make a threat towards them.

"If I catch even one whiff of a Dungbomb…"

He stalked off down the stairs, his scrawny cat following him with a threatening look directed at Orion, who returned it with interest. Sarah looked at Orion, who was shaking his head.

"Don't know why Dumbledore keeps him around. The House-Elves do most of the cleaning, and all Filch does is slope around frightening First-Years and trying to make himself feel important." He groused. Sarah shrugged, and led the way down the stairs.

"Dumbledore probably finds him amusing." She commented. Orion clicked his tongue.

"Probably. Speaking of Dumbledore…I wonder if he's cleared the…trinket…from the Room of Requirement?"

He was speaking of the Diadem Horcrux, Sarah thought.

"Why, do you have an idea?" she asked. Orion hummed softly, almost absently pulling his wand and putting up his preferred _Muffliato_ privacy spell around them.

"Maybe. The soul fragment in the Diadem may be large enough to allow us to carry out the exorcism on you. Wouldn't hurt to check, would it?"

Sarah considered that it very well could hurt, but she hardly had anything better to do, so she followed Orion through the deserted corridors to the Seventh floor. The castle was quiet, given that it was still early and a weekend, and they found the Room easily enough. Orion led the way into the magnificent chaos that was the Room of Hidden Things, and paused just inside the doorway to take in all the madness. Orion grinned at her.

"Impressive, isn't it?" he asked. Sarah nodded dumbly. Orion rolled his eyes and limped off into the Room to search for the Diadem.

"This place is actually really useful for if you need something. Anything, really. A lot of it isn't much good, but still…" he called back, trailing off. Sarah frowned.  
"So it isn't really useful?" she said. The noises of Orion sifting through the mess paused.

"Well, yes, I suppose. Okay, this Room is really useful on a few exceedingly rare occasions and also good if you need to hide something in here. I hid a Potions Book here filled with annotations and spells in here in my Sixth Year."

"A Potions Book?" Sarah questioned, walking into the precariously balanced stacks of, well, junk. She could hear Orion sorting through items somewhere, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah. It belonged to Snape, and I'd just used a spell from it on Draco Malfoy…unfortunately it happened to be a Dark magic spell Snape came up with. Or maybe not Dark magic. Offensive magic? Is there a difference? Horrible anyway. Many many cuts."

"Sounds like there's a story there."

"In all fairness Malfoy was most of the way through an Unforgivable incantation…aha! Found it!"

Orion emerged from the mess looking somewhat dishevelled, what looked like a silver tiara clasped in his gloved left hand.

"That's it? It doesn't look very…evil." Sarah said. Orion blew a stray strand of black hair away from his eyes, smiling.

"Appearances can be deceptive. In this case it is very evil. I think. A standard detection spell should do the trick."

Sarah sighed at his questioning look and cast the requisite spell. Standard, he said. The spell Orion had taught her was actually a rather advanced curse breaker's spell, though Sarah hadn't mentioned that she knew that to Orion. As the spell was cast the diadem began to glow a sickly purple, with black veins passing through it. Orion sighed.

"Well, it's certainly a Horcrux. Are you feeling anything from it?"

Sarah shook her head, and Orion waved his wand in a complex movement, muttering under his breath.

"Anything?"

"Nope."

"Damn. Looks like the soul piece in the Diadem isn't enough. Well, worth a try. You can head down to breakfast if you like, I'll take this up to Dumbledore." Orion said. Sarah nodded and left Orion, walking down to the Great Hall and finding Ron and Hermione already there.

"Morning." She said quietly, joining them at the table and snagging a plate of bacon and eggs. Ron nodded at her over a stack of toast, and Hermione gave her a muffled greeting as she retrieved her paper from the morning owl.

"Anything good in there?" Sarah asked, more to start a conversation than in the belief that the _Prophet_ would have anything interesting to say. Hermione scanned the front page and shook her head.

"Doesn't look like it…just some guff about the bass player in the Weird Sisters getting married."

Sarah shrugged and devoted herself to more bacon and eggs, while Hermione opened the paper and began to read properly. Ron scanned the skies with a thoughtful look, muttering about Quidditch practice.

"Wait," Hermione said suddenly, sounding worried, "Oh no…Sirius!"

Sarah snapped her head to Hermione so fast her neck clicked.

"What?" she questioned in an urgent, hushed voice. Hermione hastily scanned the paper.

" _'_ _The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer and…_ blah blah blah _…is currently hiding in London!'"_ Hermione read, sounding anguished. Sarah ground her teeth.

"Lucius Malfoy, probably." She muttered. Ron looked at her in question. Sarah sighed.

"'Reliable Source' has to be someone with connections in the Ministry. And Padfoot was in his dog form, so it must have been someone who is a Death Eater and was told about Padfoot by Wormtail. And who fits those two things and would have been at the platform?"  
"Malfoy." Ron growled. Sarah nodded glumly. Hermione was looking nervous.

"Well, that's it. He won't be able to leave the house again…"

"As opposed to before, when Dumbledore gave him free rein? Hermione, the Ministry doesn't know that Sirius is an Animagus. Malfoy must have left out that little tidbit…would probably raise too many questions, even amongst the idiots at the Ministry…"

Hermione was frowning, looking like she was preparing to argue, but Sarah didn't bite, instead scanning down the page until another article caught her eye.

"'Sturgis Podmore arrested'…that name sounds familiar."

Ron frowned.

"He's that bloke who looks like his head's been thatched, isn't he? A member of the Ord-"

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, and Ron looked guilty at almost talking about the Order in public. Not that there was really anyone nearby to hear him, thought Sarah. She kept reading.

"Caught trying to force his way through a top-security door at one in the morning…naughty naughty…" she mused. "Six months in Azkaban…bit careless of him."

"Why would he be trying to get through a door at one in the morning? And why wouldn't he speak in his own defence?" Hermione wondered.

"Maybe he was doing something for the Order." Ron suggested.

"He was supposed to see us off, wasn't he? Moody was annoyed about it, so I doubt he was doing something for the Order." Sarah said.

"Maybe they didn't expect him to get caught." Hermione said. Sarah forbore to comment that _nobody_ expected to get caught in criminal acts. If you expected to get caught, surely you wouldn't commit the act?

"It could be a frame up!" Ron said excitedly. Sarah turned a sceptical eye on him, but he was undeterred- though he did drop his voice from a near-shout to a whisper at the threatening expression Hermione now wore.

"The Ministry suspects he's one of Dumbledore's lot so, I dunno, they _lure_ him to the Ministry, and he wasn't trying to get through a door at all! Maybe they've just made something up to get him!" the redhead said excitedly. Sarah was solidly sceptical, not just because that explanation attributed a higher degree of competence to the Ministry than they generally demonstrated, but also because of a feeling that there was some part of the puzzle that was missing. Sarah would have to ask Orion, she resolved. Speaking of whom…

"Where's Orion? He was just going to talk to Dumbledore, it shouldn't have taken him that long." She commented. Ron and Hermione looked around, and Sarah focused on the Ravenclaw table, where Luna sat alone.

"Theia isn't here either." She noted. Ron shrugged.

"They're probably off doing something reckless." He suggested. Sarah considered, then shrugged.

"Probably." She agreed. It would fit with how Orion and Theia usually acted. Hermione was now talking about homework, but Sarah didn't really have the heart to tell her that Orion had already helped her and Ron do most of it. And they had all weekend to do the rest, and she hadn't been on her Firebolt for a week…

"It isn't as though the OWLs are soon, after all." Ron said, as they walked towards the Quidditch pitch. "And Hermione worries too much about homework."

Sarah murmured in a neutral fashion, but it seemed to be enough for Ron, who continued talking.

"Do you think she meant it, when she said we weren't copying off her anymore?"

"I think she did, yes." Interrupted the familiar voice of Orion, waiting at the door. Sarah raised an eyebrow at him.

"How did you get here?" she asked. Orion shrugged.

"Hermione told me you wanted to talk to me and that you were going to the Quidditch pitch, so I hurried down here to cut you off. What did you want to ask me about?"

"Two things, actually. Firstly…where have you been?"

Orion winced as he held up his right land.

"Apparently some of the Ravenclaws haven't got the message yet, and Theia wanted to see if she could convert those Monster Books of Monsters into a guard dog. Guard book? Whatever. Anyway…she insisted she need a test subject that wasn't her."

Ron guffawed.

"Do you always get used as a test subject?"

"Practically always, yes. What was the second thing, Sarah?"

"What is hidden in the Ministry that the Order doesn't want people to know about?" Sarah asked flatly. Orion blinked, once, his only reaction. Sarah waited patiently as Orion chewed his lip, thinking.

"What makes you think there's anything there?" he asked eventually. Sarah gave him a flat look.

"Sturgis Podmore was trying to get through a top secret door in the Ministry, and I heard the Order talking about a 'weapon' at headquarters." She replied. Orion shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't going to keep it secret forever. What are you doing now?"

"Quidditch practice, me and Ron." Sarah supplied. Orion nodded.

"I'll tell you once you're finished, then. I'll have to go and find Theia…she's better at explaining some things than I am."

Sarah nodded, briefly wondering if she should admit that she hadn't just heard the Order talking about a weapon, but also heard Orion and Theia talking about a Prophecy. Best not to, Sarah decided. Orion might tell her now anyway.

Ron and Sarah spent the next few hours practicing, Ron as Keeper and Sarah as Chaser, trying to score past him. As far as Sarah was concerned Ron was fairly good: he blocked roughly three-quarters of the shots Sarah aimed at him and got better as time went on. On the other hand, Sarah wasn't the best Chaser, but Ron should manage well enough. Sarah landed next to Orion as Ron headed back to the castle, about half an hour before lunch.

"So. You have something to tell me?" Sarah demanded. Orion nodded, Theia standing next to him.

"Yes. I'm just not sure where to start…"

"The beginning is usually a good place." Theia put in quietly.

"Well, there is that. I suppose it begins sixteen or so years ago, when Dumbledore was interviewing candidates for the post of Divination professor."

"Wait, he interviewed and _Trelawney_ was the best option? How awful were the rest?" Sarah demanded. Theia and Orion smiled.

"I didn't say it was Trelawney, Sarah." Orion pointed out. Sarah gave him a cold look, and he shrugged, looking helplessly at Theia.

"There is a reason that Trelawney got the post." Theia said gently. "If you'll let Orion continue?"

"Right, sorry."

"Now. Dumbledore himself is not very fond of Divination, and I believe that he intended to cease the course unless he was rather impressed by the applicant- he never told me if there was more than one. Needless to say he was not very impressed, but before he could tell the woman so…"

"Trelawney gave a prophecy, didn't she?" Sarah asked dully. Orion quirked an eyebrow.

"How did you guess?"

"' _The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight…before midnight…the servant…will set out…to rejoin…his master._ Trelawney gave that prophecy in my Third year, and later Dumbledore said that it brought the total number of true prophecies she had made up to two."

Orion looked impressed.

"Good memory…yes, Trelawney did indeed make a prophecy during her interview. Quite an interesting one involving the Dark Lord, in fact. A pity that a certain Death Eater happened to be listening."

"A Death Eater? Who?"

"I'll tell you afterwards. However, the Death Eater didn't hear the entirety of the prophecy. From what I understand, he was caught eavesdropping and thrown out of the building about half way into the prophecy. That is the half Voldemort knows, and the half that I can tell you."

"Well?" Sarah demanded. Orion closed his eyes, reciting as though from memory.

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies."_

"That's it?" Sarah asked. Orion shrugged.

"That's what Voldemort knows. Prophecies are a tricky thing, and not knowing all of it…well, Voldemort has realised that it's a weakness, one that he's trying to correct."

Sarah frowned.

"So, what does this have to do with the Ministry?"  
Orion looked at Theia, who answered quietly.

"Prophecies- true Prophecies- have power, Sarah. The Ministry, a few hundred years ago, realised that there might be a great many important warnings and predictions going unknown, simply because there was no one to hear them when they were given. With this in mind, they turned to the Unspeakables of the Department of Mysteries. The Unspeakables created a spell- nobody knows how- that records every prophecy made, and imprints a memory of the prophecy onto an orb of glass. These orbs are then stored-"

"In the Department of Mysteries, where they can be accessed." Sarah finished. "But then, why hasn't Lucius Malfoy or someone gone to get it?"

"The Department of Mysteries is rather hard to access, even for Malfoy. And besides that…there is a rather ingenious spell upon the orbs. They can only be removed from their shelves by one to whom the Prophecy refers. Anybody else is stricken by madness the instant they try to remove the orb."  
Sarah frowned.

"But…the Prophecy…it just said 'Dark Lord'. It didn't actually say which Dark Lord, or exactly who the 'one' referred to was, or anything like that."  
"Well. Yes. The spell is actually made to allow any who the Prophecy _could_ refer to can remove the orbs. Not as safe but also much less likely to drive people insane."

"I…see. And Voldemort knows this?"

Orion, once again, looked at Theia.

"I don't think so." She said eventually. "You read about Sturgis Podmore, yes?"

Sarah nodded, and Theia continued.

"Voldemort- or one of his minions, more likely- probably used an Imperius curse to affect Podmore, which suggests that he doesn't know that only he can remove the orb. But he must have learned that the orbs need a particular person to remove them, or he wouldn't have bothered luring Orion to the Ministry…"

"Rookwood." Orion said flatly. Theia looked at him, and he gave a slight shrug. "We know that Voldemort broke a group of Death Eaters out of Azkaban: The Lestranges, Dolohov, Rookwood and Mulciber, I think. Rookwood was an Unspeakable, it would make sense that he could inform Voldie about the orbs. Until then Voldemort doesn't know."

Sarah nodded slowly, thinking it over. Hearing that she was apparently the subject of a Prophecy- and the one destined to bring down Voldemort- was shocking, but she had intended to bring down the Dark Lord anyway.

"How did they get to Podmore?" she wondered aloud. To her surprise, Orion answered.

"Dumbledore has the Order taking shifts protecting the Orb- the corridor, anyway. Malfoy probably got him in passing." He replied. Sarah frowned.

"But why would they need to have guards? If only Voldemort or I can remove the Prophecy, surely guards are useless. I mean, if I've been Imperiused into collecting the orb things have gone to hell anyway, and I'm pretty sure that none of the Order apart from Dumbledore could last more than two minutes against Voldemort himself."

"Cheerful, aren't you? Maybe it's more as a warning. After all, even if the Order guards fail, at least there'll be an indicator that Voldemort passed through." Orion suggested, his tone almost devoid of emotion, apart from a faint distaste. Sarah frowned at the thought.

"Surely Dumbledore wouldn't do that." She protested. Orion merely shrugged in reply. Sarah sighed, recognising his expression as one she often adopted when she wasn't willing to continue on a topic, and changed the subject.

"So, who was the Death Eater who heard the Prophecy?" she asked, distantly aware of a certain tension in her stomach. Whoever it was had been responsible for her parent's deaths to a large degree. She needed to know. Orion looked her in the eyes, obviously wondering if he could lie, but sighed as he saw the determined expression she wore.

"Snape." He offered, in a quiet voice. Sarah almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Snape? The coincidence was ridiculous. But then again…

"I'm going to kill him." Sarah said in a reasonable tone, still smiling in a way that would have terrified the most hardened Death Eater. Orion and Theia actually looked alarmed, and Theia started reaching for her wand.

"Sarah? Don't do anything rash." Theia said. Sarah ignored her, turning on her heel as a feeling of utter rage began to boil in her. Unfortunately, Orion had predicted her move and grabbed her arm.

"Sarah. Wait!" he snapped. Sarah lurched in his grip, anger starting to break free.

"Wait? Wait? HE'S THE ONE WHO DOOMED MY PARENTS!"

Orion winced at the shout, but didn't let go.

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped. "My parents died because of Snape as well, but murder is not the answer to it! Think, Sarah! The part of the prophecy he heard didn't mention you by name at all! It was Voldemort who interpreted it as being you. It was Voldemort who cast the spell. And I _know_ that Snape begged Voldemort to spare Lily, and went to Dumbledore to try to save her!"  
Sarah wrenched her arm away from Orion, venting her frustration with a scream of rage. Once she was done she turned back to Orion and Theia, still angry, but in control again.

"Feeling better?" Orion asked, one eyebrow arching. Sarah took a deep breath and nodded.

"I think so. I don't feel like killing Snape any more, at least."

"Oh good-"

"I do _really_ want to kill Voldemort now, though." Sarah interrupted. Orion considered, then shrugged.

"Reasonable."

"Aren't I just?"

"Are the two of you finished?" Theia interjected, and Sarah shrugged.

"Just about. Don't we have something to do now?"

Orion was still looking a little worried.

"You calmed down very quickly. Are you _sure_ you're ok?"

Sarah smiled in a serene fashion.

"Probably not. I get the feeling that it can't be healthy to bottle up all that rage like I am, but I'm sure once I've found a satisfactory outlet I'll be fine."

"Well that's worrying. But, so long as you don't go on a non-discriminatory rampage, I'm sure I can live with it." Orion said. Theia sighed and shook her head in what looked like despair.

Contrary to what she might have expected, Sarah was quite pleased that she had Quidditch practice almost immediately afterwards. It gave her something to do, something else to focus on, and prevented her from sinking into the depths of introspection. Orion wasn't quite so pleased, complaining that he could be doing far more productive things, but his whining was half-hearted and when Sarah asked what he would be doing otherwise he simply shrugged. Sarah didn't know if that meant that he couldn't tell her, or if he wasn't sure what he would be doing himself. In all fairness, she didn't care.

"When are you going to get a proper broom?" she asked, looking at the old Shooting Star Orion was borrowing from the school. Orion looked askance at her.

"The Shooting Star is a perfectly good broom." He protested mildly. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"For sweeping floors, yes. I can _walk_ faster than it can fly, and it's as suited for acrobatics as an elephant."

Orion laughed.

"True. All true. Of course, if I was going to be your backup, I could just borrow your-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"Damn. Alright, no Firebolt. No, I was thinking of getting a Nimbus Two Thousand and One."

"Like Malfoy? How can you bear the shame?"

"Just because Malfoy likes it and has one does not diminish the value of the broom. Also, if I use one, I can prove I am better than Malfoy on a level playing field, which makes the disgust at using a broom Malfoy uses go away entirely."

Sarah thought about it, then nodded approvingly.

"I see the logic in that."

"Good."

Apart from Angelina, the Captain, all the team were in the changing room when they entered. Ron was stood in a corner, looking sick and already in his Quidditch robes. Fred and George were grinning at him, and Sarah had the feeling that they had been saying something. She hoped they hadn't taken it too far.

"Ok, everyone," said Angelina, emerging from the Captains office, "Let's get to it; Alicia, Fred, bring the ball crate for us. Oh, and there are a couple of people watching us, but I want you to just ignore them, all right?"

Her tone was off, Sarah thought absently, an attempt at being casual only sounding too casual. Well, that made it fairly clear who the unwanted visitors were. Sure enough, when they left the changing rooms and walked into the bright sunlight of the pitch there was a storm of jeers and taunts from the Slytherin Quidditch team and assorted hangers-on, grouped halfway up one of the stands. Sarah sighed in annoyance.

"What's that Weasley's riding?" Malfoy shouted, his sneering voice loud. "Who would put a flying charm on a mouldy old log like that?"

"Ignore them." Sarah said irritably. "We'll see who's laughing after we play them."

"Exactly the attitude I want!" Angelina said approvingly, soaring around them and slowing to hover in front of the team.

"Ok, everyone, I want to start with some passes to warm up, the whole team, please-"

Parkinson made a rude comment about the braids that Angelina wore her hair in, and Malfoy insulted the old broom that Orion was flying, but the captain and Orion both ignored them. Indeed, Sarah thought that there was a look of sly anticipation deep in Orion's eyes, and wondered what it was for.

The passing was…not great. Most of the team was fine, but Ron had a tendency to drop the ball and have to make hurried dives to retrieve it. Fortunately, Fred and George elected not to say anything, for which Sarah was grateful. Finally, on the third go, Ron managed to catch the Quaffle. Unhappily, he then passed it on so quickly that Katie missed the catch, and the large ball hit her in the face. The Slytherins were howling with laughter, and Sarah sourly hoped that they would injure themselves laughing. It would serve them right. Katie had a bleeding nose, but Fred gave her something from a pocket that he said would stop the bleeding.

"All right." Angelina called. "Fred, George, get your bats and a Bludger. Ron, get up to the goalposts. Sarah, release the Snitch when I say so…Orion, see if you can give Sarah a challenge. Chasers, aim for Ron's goal…obviously."

Sarah, Fred and George flew down towards the ball crate, but they were distracted by yells from the Slytherins. At first Sarah thought it was just the usual jeering, but there was a panic in it that made her look. Sarah looked, stared, and then started to laugh. The Slytherins were running about, flailing and yelling, being swarmed by what looked like books. Furry books. Orion's look of amusement suddenly made sense as the Slytherins fled the Quidditch pitch in disarray, Malfoy yelling an incoherent threat as he went. Sarah, still laughing, waved to Theia and Luna, who she could now see on the stands, before joining Fred and George.

"What was that?" asked one of the Twins. Sarah smiled.

"Apparently Theia wanted to see if those Monster books of Monsters could be made to act like a guard dog. I'd say she managed."

"Did that all right." Mumbled Fred, glancing up to where the books now seemed to be gathered around Theia and Luna. Sarah suspected that Luna was petting one, but decided not to question it. The Twins seemed to think in a similar fashion, for they unloaded the Quidditch balls quietly enough.

"Ron's making a right pig's ear of things, isn't he?" George commented quietly. Sarah shrugged.

"He was fine this morning. He's just nervous." She said. Fred looked gloomy.

"Yeah, well, I hope he hasn't peaked too soon."

They returned to the air, Sarah hovering alongside Orion until Angelina blew her whistle. The moment the shrill noise sounded Sarah released the Snitch, and Fred and George the Bludger. From then on, Sarah paid no mind to what the rest of the team were doing, instead focusing on catching the Snitch. She usually found this relaxing, to a certain extent, only having to pursue the tiny golden ball while avoiding the occasional Bludger. In this case, however, with Orion doing his best to beat her, she found it more exciting. Often Sarah complained that the other Seekers weren't on her level, unable to keep up with her reflexes or her acrobatics, but Orion was quite capable of keeping pace, using a series of progressively dirtier tactics to counteract her far better broom.

"Are you trying to knock me off?" yelled Sarah, as a grinning Orion swerved sharply in front of her. Orion just winked at her, and Sarah was caught between laughing and swearing as she took off again, easily out pacing him. However, she soon found herself brought to a halt by the shrill screech of the Captain's whistle.

"Stop!" Angelina barked. "Ron, you aren't covering your middle post!"

Sarah glanced around to see that Ron was hovering in front of his left hand goal, leaving the other two completely exposed. He started to mumble an apology, but Angelina cut him off.

"Keep shifting around while watching the Chasers! Either stay in centre position until you have to move or circle, but don't just hover in one place! That's how you let in the last three goals!"

"Sorry." Ron mumbled, his face bright red, an incandescent beacon against the sky. Angelina sighed in annoyance, turning on one of the other Chasers.

"Katie! Can't you do something about that nosebleed?"

"It's just getting worse!" Katie protested in a thick voice. From the corner of her eye, Sarah saw the Twins hastily check their pockets before looking at Katie in what seemed like horror, and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, let's try again." Angelina said. She appeared calm, but there was a tension in her voice and the way she was sat on her broom that made Sarah glad that the Slytherins weren't here. Any violent meltdown by the Captain should be witnessed by the team only- Sarah mentally Theia and Luna honorary places for chasing off the Slytherins.

They had been flying for barely more than three minutes when the whistle sounded again. Sarah, who had just sighted the Snitch- and had been looking forward to beating Orion- pulled up, feeling distinctly aggrieved.

"What now?" She asked Alicia, who was closest by.

"Katie." Was the curt response.

Sarah turned and saw Angelina, Fred and George flying towards Katie as fast as possible: given that Katie was chalk white and covered in blood, this was probably a prudent course of action. The rest of the team, minus Ron, quickly closed on the stricken Chaser.

"She needs the Hospital Wing." Angelina said flatly. Fred and George looked embarrassed.

"We'll take her." Fred said grimly. "She…er, she might have swallowed a Blood Blisterpod by mistake."

Sarah managed to keep her reproving headshake to herself, but Fred and George looked thoroughly chilled by the look Angelina shot them.

"Well, there's no point continuing with no Beaters and a Chaser gone." Angelina said, her tone making her disgust clear. "Come on, let's go and get changed."

It was a rather dejected group that made its way up to the Gryffindor Tower- Ron was in what looked like a deep depression, Angelina was angry, Orion was subdued and Sarah was lost in a thought that had struck her as she retrieved the Snitch. With that in mind, she halted Orion outside the Tower door, letting Ron and Angelina enter while Sarah asked her question of Orion.

"Before…when I said I was going to kill Snape…why did you and Theia look so alarmed?"

Orion looked back at her, his expression serious.

"Because…that expression. The half-smile. The calm tone. The madness in the eyes…it was something that I understand Lament did quite often. Something _I_ did quite often."  
"Lament? But I thought he was…you were…the Horcrux shard!"

The briefest of shrugs.

"Perhaps it merely tipped me over the edge. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

With that Orion silently entered the Tower, leaving Sarah outside with a troubled heart and unsettled mind.

* * *

 _ **This one...took a while. Bit of loss of motive, I suppose, but it's still in progress at least. As ever, enjoy. Read and Review!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer. As Always.**

* * *

The unhappy aura did not improve upon entry to the Common Room. Hermione, in an uncharacteristically tactless moment, had implied that Ron was the reason training had gone badly. It wasn't entirely inaccurate, but Ron flew off the handle and stormed off to his room. Sarah and Orion slumped in the armchairs next to Hermione, who looked hurt.

"Nicely done. I haven't seen someone hit an ego that hard in years." Sarah commented. Hermione flushed in embarrassment or anger- Sarah couldn't tell which- and Orion sent them both a warning look.

"Play nice." He drawled. They both scowled at him, but he maintained his unruffled appearance.

"I've stared down Voldemort, even the two of you aren't as scary." A brief pause. "Yet."

"So we will be as scary as Voldemort at some point?" Sarah asked. Orion nodded fervently.

"Oh, definitely. Look at Theia- she terrifies me far more than Voldie."

Considering the existence of hunter killer books and what was apparently a series of progressively nastier traps littering the Ravenclaw tower Sarah was inclined to admit that he had a point. Theia could be pretty frightening. Hermione seemed to dismiss the conversation, leaning back and going back to knitting what looked like…a liver. Or a kidney, maybe. It was probably a woolly House-Elf hat, but…it was also an abomination. Remembering their discussion about Hermione and her House Elf freedom crusade Sarah gave Orion a meaningful look. Her alternate seemed to twitch slightly, and his eyes flickered between her and Hermione. Sarah didn't need to be a Legilimens to know what he was thinking: he was debating which of them he wanted annoyed least. Sarah was fairly confident that she would be the winner, though- she was a considerably better duellist that Hermione, and rather sneakier and more vindictive. Orion cleared his throat.

"So. What are you knitting, Hermione?" he started. Hermione beamed.

"Some more hats for the House Elves. They must be taking them all the time, I'm barely keeping up."

Orion blinked and swallowed.

"Ah, yes. About that…the House Elves haven't actually been taking them for any night apart from last night."

"What?"

Hermione's voice was very soft and calm, and Sarah felt a chill in her spine. Orion was sitting very still and his left hand had coiled backwards, ready to draw his wand. Sarah approved of his paranoia. Caution. Whichever one it was, it was justified.

"I've been…Vanishing the hats." Orion admitted. Hermione took a deep, deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I must have misheard. I thought you said that you have been _Vanishing my hats."_

The last words came in an ominous hiss, and Orion sighed.

"You aren't going to let me explain, are you?" he said tiredly. Hermione pointed at him.

"Oh, I am. I want an explanation, Orion."

She must have been furious, Sarah reflected, because her voice was low and entirely steady. Orion, to his credit, met the eyes of the furious girl without flinching.

"Very well then. I'll explain. Hermione…the House Elves don't want freedom. You can't force it on them."

Hermione seemed to swell ominously.

"They don't want freedom? They don't know to want it, because-"

Orion cut her off.

"If you are going to say that they have been brainwashed, don't bother. Look at Dobby- he wanted freedom, but if any Elf should have been brainwashed it's him. And even if they are brainwashed, do you really think that randomly trying to give them clothes would help? They would be out in the world with the wrong mindset to survive. In that case, wouldn't it be murder?"

Hermione froze, seemingly stunned by the logic of that. Orion pressed his advantage ruthlessly.

"And even with that in mind, what makes you think you can free them? The owners aren't the students, the owner would be the Headmaster, and a non-owner cannot free a House Elf. All you are doing is insulting them, and by extension Dumbledore. Besides, do you really think that the Headmaster would abuse his Elves? Look at Dobby- he gets paid and holidays, but the others just don't want those things. Maybe some Elves are treated badly, but to change that you have to change the mindset of the Purebloods, and poorly thought out crusades are not the answer, Hermione. They will be dismissed and ignored as the actions of another outsider ignorant of Wizarding culture. You have to change things at the higher levels first. Think on that."

Sarah was impressed. Orion had put together a fairly good argument, but his greatest advantage was his style, giving Hermione no time to build up a head of steam and slip into a rant. Sarah mentally recorded this as the best way to win an argument with her friend.

Hermione was finally speaking again.

"I…think I'm going to bed. I have a lot to…think about." She said mechanically, standing and walking off. Orion looked at Sarah with a slight expression of worry.

"Do you think I went too far?" he asked, worried. Sarah shook her head.

"I don't think you broke her, Orion. She's just having a hard time coming to terms with being wrong, I think. She'll take a day or so to absorb this and then she'll be researching laws and trying to get rid of Pureblood prejudice- you know what she's like."

"Just about." Orion murmured, reclining in his seat and losing the tension that had marred his frame. Sarah waited for a few minutes before asking a question that had been preying on her mind.

"Orion…why have you forgiven Snape?"

Orion had his head tilted back, eyelids closed, but now he brought his face back down and cracked open one grey eye.

"Why ask?"

"Because…I want to know why. And how. I just…I don't think I can forgive him for what he's done."

"And there it is. The truth of the matter…I haven't forgiven him, Sarah."

Sarah stared at Orion, who opened his other eye and met her gaze seriously.

"I understand that it must have seemed like I had forgiven him, with the way that I was going on about not killing him. But there is a difference in not wanting to kill him, and forgiving him. I know that what he did was brave, but what does that matter? Any beast can be brave. Any monster can be brave. No one would call Voldemort a coward…does that redeem him?"  
"Well…no. I suppose not. It's just…he betrayed my family as much as Wormtail did."

"Not exactly. He didn't know who the Prophecy was referring to, but that's no excuse. He begged Voldemort to spare Lily, but for selfish reasons. He still joined the Death Eaters. Snape is, at heart, an exceedingly selfish man driven by a lust for revenge and a hefty dose of self-hatred. He is a bad person by almost any measure. But he has his uses. He is an excellent spy, after all. And…well, I'd consider it a mercy to kill him and spare him the agony of knowing that he was responsible for the loss of the one person he truly cared for without limitation. I'm not fond of mercy when Snape is involved."  
"That's remarkably…vindictive." Sarah said. Orion shrugged.

"I am who I am."

"That has…almost no relevance."

"Sounded wise and philosophical though, didn't it?" Orion said, smiling. Sarah twitched fractionally, wondering if she could get away with cursing Orion silent. She had been looking up variants of the Silencing spell recently…Orion was starting to smirk. Oh. He knew, didn't he? There was no point even trying unless she got the drop on him, so Sarah reluctantly let go of her idea. Orion almost looked disappointed.

"You know," Sarah started thoughtfully, "Sometimes I wonder if Ron and Hermione would be able to get along if I wasn't here. They certainly seem to argue a lot."

Orion got the hint, and sighed.

"If you wanted to know, you could have just asked." He said, in mild reproof. Sarah smiled.

"But this is more fun." She replied. Orion mumbled something about women driving him insane, then straightened in his seat.

"As it happens yes, the two of them can just about manage without us. They just need to be a little more…well, how can I put it? Ron needs to work harder. Hermione needs to relax. They both need to be a little more sensitive."

"Sensitive." Sarah said in a flat tone.

"Of each other." Orion hastened to add. Sarah considered that. He might have a point…Ron could be rather lazy, and Hermione had a tendency to be somewhat insufferable about what she knew. Luckily she had grown out of that a bit after years in the company of Ron and Sarah.

"Then again, I think they managed fine while they were in Grimmauld Place together over summer." Sarah said. She was still a bit annoyed over Ron and Hermione not telling her anything, but with Orion and Theia arriving she hadn't really had the chance to bawl at Ron and Hermione, and she would feel stupid doing it now.

"Annoyed that they listened to Dumbledore and didn't contact you?" Orion asked. Sarah frowned at him.

"How did you-"

"I'm you, remember? The first thing I did when I saw my Ron and Hermione was bawl them out. A good five minutes worth. Was fairly therapeutic, if I recall rightly. Of course, I _was_ a week or so away from being put on trial for use of Underage Magic, with the prospect of having my wand snapped and being expelled from Hogwarts, so I was fairly short-tempered." Orion admitted.

"You were put on trial?"

"Mm-hm. Like in the Pensieve you saw last year, except without Dementors. Fudge looked so smug I almost started rooting for Voldie to usurp him."

"That's worrying. But understandable. He can be quite an idiot." Sarah agreed.

"Yes…bit of a mystery how he got elected as Minister. Or maybe not. After all he's pliable and complacent. I've no doubt Lucius was delighted to get him."

Sarah nodded.

"Speaking of Malfoys…what are we going to do about him? He seems to have recovered from his little, ah, episode on the train, and I get the feeling he'll cause us trouble this year."

"And the next if we don't do something. Little creep…this year he'll toady up to Umbridge for power. Next year…well, that's when things get serious for him."

"Serious?" Sarah questioned. Orion nodded.

"Haven't I told you what Draco spent his Sixth Year doing?"

Sarah shook her head.

"Odd. Thought I had…oh well. I can tell you now just as easily. Good old Draco…you see, Lucius failed in his attempt to nab me and the Prophecy in Fifth year and got thrown in Azkaban. Voldemort promptly demonstrated that he is an awful boss by deciding that his most trusted and up until that point effective Lieutenant needed to be punished. The Dark Lord then concluded that the best way to punish Lucius was to induct Draco into the Death Eaters and give him the job of killing Dumbledore, with the price of failure being the death of his family."  
"That sounds remarkably stupid. Does Voldie have no concept of loyalty or preserving useful tools?" Sarah interrupted. Orion shook his head.

"He does not. He'll quite happily sacrifice anyone if it suits him, which is probably why he has relatively few Death Eaters. Regardless, throughout the year Draco attempted to kill Dumbledore in various ways, all but one of them ill thought out and carrying considerable risk of collateral damage. This is where Dumbledore demonstrated that the Light side could be as stupid as the Dark by refusing to stop Draco, intent on 'redeeming' him."

"He…" Sarah trailed off, struck by the sheer stupidity of that. "What plans did Draco try?"

"Firstly, he Imperiused Madam Rosmerta into Imperiusing Katie Bell into taking a cursed necklace into the castle and giving it to Dumbledore, ignoring that Filch was checking every student coming through the door with a Dark detector and that the necklace had a blatant aura of darkness that made the fact it was cursed obvious to a skilled witch or wizard. Even worse the paper the necklace was in then ripped and Katie brushed it with her skin…she nearly died."

"And Dumbledore let that go? Even though he must have known…"

"Who knows how the man thinks? I respect him but he can be too forgiving sometimes. The second attempt I know of involved a bottle of poisoned mead that he gave to our then Potions Professor, Slughorn, ignoring the little issues that Slughorn is very fond of mead and quality items."

"Oh dear. He didn't pass it on, did he?"

"Kept it. Ron ended up drinking it, long story, but it was a good thing that there was a Bezoar at hand and I thought to use it."  
"And the third attempt?"

"Ah. That one. It was rather clever actually, clever enough that I have my suspicions that it wasn't Draco's plan in the first place. Do you remember Borgin's and Burke's, in Diagon Alley?"  
"Mm…vaguely."

"Right. Well, in that shop there is something called a Vanishing Cabinet. Now, the name is actually misleading: the Vanishing Cabinet is part of a pair. Something put into one is transported to the other when the doors are closed. The second is here, in this castle. The one here was broken- in this year, I believe- but Malfoy somehow managed to repair it: no easy feat that, especially since he did a good enough job that it didn't scramble the brains of anybody using it, and got a bunch of Death Eaters into the castle. Dumbledore and I were out Horcrux Hunting, and Dumbledore was ill when we returned. Malfoy jumped us but didn't have the guts to make the kill…Snape on the other hand…"  
"Snape…it all comes back to him, doesn't it? Why didn't you-"

"Stop him? I couldn't. Dumbledore Body Bound me the instant Malfoy appeared, and I was under my Invisibility Cloak. I can't say I blame Snape for killing Dumbledore…later I found out that he had promised the Headmaster he'd do it, and made an Unbreakable Oath to Narcissa to that effect as well. I wouldn't wish the consequences of breaking an Unbreakable Oath on anyone, not even him."

"An Unbreakable Oath? Are they actually…"

"They aren't unbreakable, as such, but they do have very nasty repercussions if broken. Like, say, death. Horrible death, to boot."

"I have this odd feeling that you're understating." Sarah commented. Orion shrugged.

"I don't actually know the repercussions beyond death via the Oath twisting the oath breaker's magic back upon themselves, but I can guess that it is, well, icky."

Sarah's brain halted for a moment at the use of the word 'icky'. It was just so…childish. Almost adorable, really, despite the topic.

"Uh…Sarah?" Orion said cautiously, waving his hand in front of her eyes. Sarah blinked and shook her head, trying to jolt her brain back to something resembling normality. Unfortunately, that manifested itself as fast talking and rather stupid questions.

"Oh. Right. So, Snape swore an Unbreakable Oath and killed Dumbledore?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Um…yes. But you didn't say why- other than the Unbreakable Oath."

Orion looked confused for a moment as he sorted through what Sarah had said before replying.

"Dumbledore already wanted Snape to kill him. It was practical really, as Dumbledore was dying from a curse on one of the Horcruxes-"

"The Ring?" Sarah interrupted. Orion nodded and continued as though she hadn't spoken.

"-and it helped Snape secure his position among the Death Eaters. I also think that he promised Dumbledore he would kill him before he made the Unbreakable Oath, but that was something he would have had to do anyway since from what I understand Bellatrix was there, and she wasn't likely to react well to any hint of disloyalty to Voldemort."  
"Does Bellatrix react well to anything?" Sarah wondered aloud. Orion laughed.

"Nope. She's completely off her rocker. Although she has that weird crush on Voldemort…"

Sarah held up her hand.

"Stop. Orion, stop. I'll accept you and Sirius making cracks about me and Malfoy. I find Padfoot making comments about you, Theia and Luna hilarious, but I will not allow you to make jokes about Bellatrix and Voldemort. It's just…icky."

And now she was using the damn childish word. Was that triumph she saw in Orion's expression? Hopefully not.

"Right, right…back onto what passes for a topic, do you have any other questions that can fuel your hatred for Snape?" Orion asked. Sarah hesitated briefly before replying.

"Actually I don't. I'm feeling almost…sorry… for Snape. I mean yes, I still can't stand him, he's a horrible person, but he's not _all_ bad points. It must have been unpleasant to know that he would have to kill Dumbledore. I mean, the Headmaster is just about the only person who supported him and believed he could redeem himself." She said quietly. Orion tilted his head.

"Contradictions, how humanity is forged of them." He intoned. Sarah blinked at the somewhat odd statement.

"When did you become all philosophical?" she questioned, remembering the hat evil lurks in the hearts of men' from not long ago. Orion had the grace to look embarrassed.

"I haven't, really. That last one was mine, but the one when I entered the Common Room was, well, a comic book hero quote."

Sarah gave him a deadpan stare, and his expression became more and more sheepish.

"And on that note," she finally stated, "I think I'm going to bed."

The next morning Sarah found herself in the position of having no idea where Orion was. The two of them had agreed that they would head to the Room of Requirement to recommence the duelling practice they had begun at Grimmauld Place, but with one of them missing Sarah suspected that might be difficult. However, given that the Marauder's Map showed no Orion, Sarah guessed that he was in the Room already and made her way up there. What she found was...unexpected.

" _Reducto!"_ Sarah screamed, the spell shattering an onrushing humanoid figure into shards of what looked like pottery. It had to be said that Sarah was only peripherally aware of what the shards looked like because there was a mob, no, a _phalanx_ of identical figures right behind the first _,_ charging towards her. Sarah drew on her bag of tricks learned from Orion and cast the considerably more powerful Bombardment curse, blasting most of the group to fragments. A flying fragment cut her cheek, and Sarah started to cough as thick dust surrounded her. Thinking fast she did what Orion usually did in his duels, casting a modified Bubble-Head charm that caused a mask to form across her mouth and nose. It would only last for ten minutes or so, but that should be long enough.

"Damn it! _Ventus!"_

A sharp blast of wind blew the dust away, but Sarah immediately had to dive for cover from a rain of what looked like pottery construct frogs. She suspected it was Orion's doing, simply because of the way the heavy Transfiguration and subsequent dust clouds suited his duelling style, but she had no idea what he was doing, or why frogs would be involved. Tiring of it all, Sarah went for more powerful and destructive spells- if Orion wanted to play dirty, she would match him.

" _Ventus gladii!"_

An odd spell, this one, an offensive variant on _Ventus._ Orion had been coy as to where he had learned it, but it was one of the spells that Orion and Theia referred to as 'sweepers'- a wide area effect spell, in this case causing a blast of wind that was enough to cut skin in a circle around the caster. At the power Sarah cast it, it would be an annoyance that would probably leave paper cuts on human skin. To the ceramic frogs it was a wave of destruction. A repeat of _Ventus_ to clear the dust and…damn. More bloody pottery soldiers. Where were they all coming from?

"Orion! What the hell are you doing?" yelled Sarah as she ran for it. There were too many constructs, she wouldn't get the time to cast _Ventus gladii_ with the power she would need, and most of the rest of her offensive repertoire was sadly similar. A lot of magic just wasn't suited for brawls like this. And then she stepped on something yielding, and the world turned upside down. Even worse, her limbs suddenly seemed afflicted by a full body version of the Jelly-Legs Jinx, and the constructs were still coming.

"Oh, bugger."

The soldiers abruptly disintegrated into puffs of dust, leaving Sarah blinking stupidly and oddly disappointed. What was the point of psyching herself up for potential bodily harm when it wasn't going to happen? Sarah hastily dismissed that undoubtedly unhealthy thought and turned her glare upon Orion. Her male alternate looked unbelievably smug, but there was a gleam of pride in his eyes. Pride over her, and it made her temper lessen slightly. Only slightly though.

"What the bloody hell was that you bastard?" Sarah shouted. Orion flinched at her sudden explosion into sound, but she wasn't finished.

"Attacking me like that without warning, I could have been…and what did you do to me to leave me like this, I'm starting to feel sick!"

Sarah found herself abruptly terminating the first line of argument as the logical part of her brain reminded her that any Death Eaters probably would, in fact, attack without warning, and instead focused on the more palatable second part.

"Consider this a lesson learned." Orion said, cancelling the spell that held Sarah up so that she flopped into his arms in a boneless sprawl. He caught her with a slight grunt of exertion, before laying her on the floor and taking away the second spell. Sarah, still annoyed, used the first return of motion and feeling to her limbs to punch him.

"I suppose I deserve that." Orion admitted after a few seconds, rubbing at his jaw. Sarah scowled.

"Yes, you did. Now. Answers."

"Yes'm. Well, since Death Eaters aren't going to play nice, so I thought I wouldn't either. Besides, if the Order thinks Voldemort might jump out at you from behind a dustbin, we should take them seriously."

The second part of the sentence was delivered in a perfect deadpan that Sarah had to respect, but she was still annoyed at Orion so she didn't laugh. Much.

"Regardless," Orion continued, "I am impressed. I hadn't expected you to last so long against my constructs."

"Constructs?" Sarah asked, rotating her shoulders to try to get full feeling back in her arms. Orion nodded.

"A Transfiguration. Well, a Conjuration and then an animation. Not without its issues of course…"  
"It must take a lot of power." Sarah noted, letting her hand drift towards her wand as she regained use of her limbs. Orion nodded absently.

"It does take a lot, yes. Means that the actual constructs aren't very tough or smart…took me ages to get this many together. And then you destroyed most of them. And the last ones had been around too long and the Transfiguration reverted-"  
" _Expelliarmus!"_ Sarah shouted, cutting Orion off and catching him off guard. He reacted quickly enough to grab his wand before it flew away from him, but her follow-up Banishing Charm launched him across the floor in an inelegant sprawl. Sarah stood up, grinning fiendishly.

"Constant Vigilance!" she mocked. Orion looked up, and smiled.

"Oh, very good. You caught me in the middle of a monologue. You know, that's something that works extremely well on Voldemort…"

Sarah went to move as he flicked his wand, but the floor had been turned to ice around her and she slipped, landing in a heap. Orion laughed as he stood up.

"Works both ways, Sarah!"

Sarah growled under her breath, using an overpowered warming charm to melt the ice around her. Orion was moving his wand in quick, circular motions around himself, each pass causing a whitish vapour to rise from the ground and surround them. Sarah flinched from its cold touch: fog. This was a new one.

"Fog, Orion? Really? Are you trying for the horror movie look?" Sarah called, standing carefully. The laugh from Orion came back curiously muffled by the vapour in the air.

"Yes, it has a certain ambience doesn't it? I have to admit, I quite like it. You don't need a mask like with my usual dust storms, after all."

Sarah scowled into the whiteness, quickly concluding that almost all of her senses were useless. The thick whiteness made sight unreliable past a few feet, and hearing was prevented by the muffling effect. If she had a tracking charm on her she would be a sitting duck. With that in mind Sarah ducked to her left and cast the most powerful _Finite Incantatem_ she could manage on herself. Not that that was any guarantee.

"Do you think I should go for the full on horror theme? I think it might work pretty well." Orion called from the fog, making Sarah want to curse him out. Fortunately, he appeared to reconsider.

" _Tarantallegra!"_

A dancing curse. Oh, how droll. Sarah dodged more by instinct than anything else, and returned a Stunner. The red light shot off, but was quickly swallowed by the fog. An amused chuckle indicated that she had missed.

"I was thinking about music, creepy children's songs, the whole lot, but I think I've changed my mind. Maybe another time." Orion called, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that they were duelling. The fog seemed to be getting colder, Sarah's breath beginning to cloud. She might have dismissed it, but Orion showed a certain liking for ice and fire based spells which put her on edge. In fact, the fog was starting to stir around her, and sting a little, tiny motes of ice brushing against delicate skin. Sarah frowned, mind working, and began to prepare her own spell, a powerful variant of _Incendio._ The fog was stirring more, and Sarah could tell that it wasn't good, even if she couldn't pin down the origin of that instinct. And then-  
"Sarah. Something new… _Ventus."_

Wind. Ice. Movement…blizzard. Oh. Oh dear.

" _Incendio Maxima!"_ Sarah screamed, casting the most powerful fire spell in her arsenal and twisting it to form a shield around herself as the fog turned crystalline and whirled in towards her. She felt a momentary stinging as tiny shards of ice scraped on her skin, before the roaring heat of her own spell forced it back, surrounding her in a cocoon of crimson-yellow. It was uncomfortable in the centre of such heat, but she would rather that to the freezing, flaying blizzard. After what seemed like an eternity the fire petered out, leaving a tired, panting Sarah surrounded by a patch of dry stone that was slowly being overtaken by the slush that filled the rest of the floor. Orion looked impressed.

"Not many people could have reacted so quickly." He complimented. Sarah managed a tired, defiant grin.

"You're…too predictable." She panted, feeling exhausted from the magic she had put into her spell. Orion shrugged.

"Maybe. But in the end I think I win…Transfiguring the fog and casting a circular wind spell has apparently taken less out of me than that rather impressive _Incendio Maxima_ took from you."

Sarah chose not to reply to that, instead focusing on taking deep breaths while her tiredness faded somewhat. Magic could be hard sometimes.

""Are you alright?" Orion asked, seemingly concerned. Sarah let out a last deep breath and stood straight, nodding.

"Yes. Just…shouldn't have used so much magic on that _Incendio._ Bit tiring." She said. Orion nodded in understanding.

"One of the bigger problems with spells like that, they need a lot of energy. Probably didn't help that you just used _Maxima_ with it. It isn't very efficient."  
The Room shifted around them, the remaining fog and slush vanishing and being replaced by a pair of squashy armchairs. Sarah slumped into one with a sigh of relief: using a large amount of magic in such a short time took a toll.

" _Maxima_ isn't very efficient?" she asked. Orion lowered himself into the other chair and shook his head slowly.

" _Maxima_ is an…all purpose power up, I suppose you could say. Any spell that you add it to the end of becomes more powerful, but costs more to cast. And the extra increase isn't done very well. For example, _Incendio Vulcanus_ would have had a similar effect, but with less power used. Hmm…come to think of it, you could also have used _Ardesco_ or _Conflagratio_ …"

"Orion? Focus, please." Sarah said. Orion looked up at her and blinked.

"Sorry. Got caught up in possibilities. That's the thing with casting in Latin or near-Latin, magic begins to…conform…to words. Which is why _Incendio_ is low level while _Ardesco_ is much higher, despite the two words having similar meanings."

"Magic has conformity?"

Orion shrugged.

"I…it's hard to say. Mainly because this is getting into deep level theory, and while Voldemort understood some of it he was rather cleverer than I am, so I understand even less. But yes, magic conforms somewhat to the words used, otherwise the words would be meaningless and you would need an in-depth knowledge of what you were doing in order to cast it."  
"That actually makes sense." Sarah admitted. "How did you get that blizzard to form in the first place?"  
"Ah, that was easy enough. I Conjured the fog, of course, that took a fair bit of power, but then I cast a spell that began to cause the water droplets forming the fog to freeze into shards of ice."

"Sharp shards. Right. And then you cast a spiral _Ventus_ to create the whirlwind effect. And I guess that you altered the spell to keep the shards small enough to not cause much damage?"

"Correct. I think I could probably make the combination lethal, but then it wouldn't have much use."  
"Wouldn't have much…oh. I take it that there's no way of preventing friendly fire, then."

Orion nodded.

"Yes. It's what you might call a battle spell, for dealing with crowds, but like most of those it hardly gets used because it hurts _everyone_ around you, which means that it could only really be used as overkill in a single duel or if you were alone and thoroughly outnumbered. And it happens to be a power hog."

Sarah narrowed her eyes and leaned forwards. Actually, now that she looked more closely she could see that Orion looked tired, even though he was a good third more powerful than her. Sarah guessed that he had used a fraction less magic than her, but his greater reserves let him bear the burden more easily.

"I guess that practice is over for today then?" Sarah tried. Orion laughed.

"If you want, Sarah. But on the other hand, if you want to try and catch up to swap Ancient Runes for Divination…"

"Damn you and your temptations."

The night of the next day found all of them in the Gryffindor Common Room, with Orion talking to Theia over the mirrors and Sarah watching Ron work on his Astronomy homework. Annoyingly, Orion had refused to help her on that one, but she had managed it without too much trouble on Saturday, while Orion had been going over what he wanted to teach her in the impromptu Ancient Runes lessons he was giving. Ron, who hadn't been as lucky and had elected to sleep late instead, was now working on an essay about the moons of Jupiter at half past eleven. Sarah was paying almost no attention to the mild argument Hermione had set off by pointing out a mistake in Ron's work- really, Ron needed to be less touchy sometimes- and so was the first one to notice the screech owl stood on the windowsill, giving Ron the avian equivalent of a narrow eyed stare.

"Uh, Ron?" Sarah said, poking his arm and pointing. Ron opened his mouth to snap, but the words came out quietly.

"Blimey, isn't that Hermes?" he said. Sarah and Orion gave almost identical glances to Hermione, who mouthed 'Percy's owl' to them. Ron had crossed to the window and opened it: Hermes promptly flew inside, landed on Ron's essay and held out a leg burdened with a heavy letter. The owl left almost at once, leaving inky footprints over Ron's work. Ron, looking curious, opened the letter and scanned down, his expression changing from interest to a disgusted scowl as he went. When he reached the bottom of the scroll he thrust the scroll towards Sarah and Hermione, who leaned together to read it- mindful of Orion and Theia, Sarah began reading aloud.

" _Dear Ron,_

 _I have only just heard (from no less a person than the Minister for Magic himself, who has it from your new teacher, Professor Umbridge) that you have become a Hogwarts prefect._

 _I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congratulations."_

 _"_ He writes like the most stereotypical snobby Englishman." Orion commented, as Sarah paused for a breath before continuing.

" _I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the 'Fred and George' route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and decided to shoulder some real authority._ Ick. Even reading this, I can feel the pomposity. And Fred and George aren't stupid, if they put the effort in they'd probably do almost as well as Percy. Anyway…

 _But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully, you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and awkward questions."_

At this point Theia chipped in.

"This reads more like an illicit love letter than anything else. I have plenty of awkward questions raised by the tone of what we've read…no wonder he didn't want this read out at breakfast."

There was a pause while everyone present worked through the implications of that, paled and then forcibly repressed the thoughts. Sarah hurried on, hoping to forestall any more inappropriate remarks.

" _From something the Minister let slip while telling me you are now a Prefect, I gather you are still seeing a lot of Sarah Potter, and now this Arcturus Argent. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than continued fraternisation with such a pair."_

"Oh Ron, that boy is no good for you!" Orion commented in a falsetto voice. Theia snickered, and Ron went red- a welcome change from the green tinged white induced by the last comment from Theia. Sarah tuned out her alternate and continued.

" _I am sure you are surprised to hear this- no doubt you will say that the girl has always been Dumbledore's favourite, and Argent seems to have gained a similar favour- but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different- and probably more accurate- view of Potter's behaviour. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the_ Daily Prophet _tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing- and see if you can spot yours truly!"_

"Five Sickles on deranged." Orion said. Theia laughed quietly over the mirror.

"That's a sucker bet, Orion. No one's going to take it."

"Worth a try." He murmured, as Sarah swallowed to relieve her dry throat and continued.

" _Seriously, Ron, you do not wish to be tarred with the same brush as Potter and Argent, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school, too. As you must be aware, Argent is the son of Sirius Black, and that Potter would willing consort with the child of the man who betrayed her parents speaks ill of her character. It speaks worse of Argent that he sees nothing wrong in what his father did, going so far as to claim him innocent, and Potter supports him."_

Here, Sarah had to stop, in order to force down a wave of rage. From what she could see, Orion was not handling it much better, for his features had settled into a cold mask and his voice, when he spoke, had lowered to a whisper.

"Rarely," Orion said softly, "Has murder sounded more appealing. I am disappointed in Percy, however. I would have thought that one so intelligent would possess a modicum of curiosity, and would not dismiss my claims of Sirius' innocence out of hand."  
Ron and Hermione were looking frightened, not at Orion, but at Sarah, and she realised that her hair had turned midnight black. She forced it back, and Hermione still looked petrified.

"Sarah…your eyes are red." She whispered, and Sarah grimaced. It was a good thing the Common Room was empty. She concentrated, and eventually Ron and Hermione relaxed somewhat. Ron tried to pull the letter away from her, but she held firm.

"Best to get this over with in one quick go. Like pulling off a plaster." She said, ignoring Ron's question on what a plaster was.

" _It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with them- I know that Potter can be unbalanced and, for all I know, violent, while the Black family are well known as practitioners of the Dark Arts- but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in their behaviour that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a truly delightful women who I know will be only too happy to advise you._

 _This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ron, should be not to him, but to the school and the Ministry. I am very sorry to hear that, so far, Professor Umbridge is encountering very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires (Although she should find this easier from next week- again, see the_ Daily Prophet _tomorrow!). I shall say only this- a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well placed for Head Boyship in a couple of years!"_

"Ah, ambition, the root of all evil." Orion commented. Sarah agreed, and added her own thoughts.

"He writes like he's swallowed a thesaurus."

Theia added her own input.

"I've never liked the term 'regime'." She said, in a dreamy tone of voice that conveyed a frowny face through the fixed features of the mirror.

"It makes Dumbledore sound like someone who kicks puppies and throws kitten off towers while twirling his moustache and laughing." She concluded. Sarah, while Ron and Hermione gaped at the mirror, fielded a glass of water that Orion had produced from somewhere- probably kept on him for a situation like this. The cool liquid felt like heaven to her throat, dry from speaking.

"Continuing on… _I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. It pains me to criticise our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore. (If you are writing to Mother at any point, you might tell her that a certain Sturgis Podmore, who is a great friend of Dumbledore's, has recently been sent to Azkaban for trespass at the Ministry. Perhaps that will open their eyes to the kind of petty criminals with whom they are currently rubbing shoulders.) I count myself to be very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people- the Minister really could not be more gracious to me- and I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions, either. I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realise how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes._

 _Please think over what I have said most carefully, particularly the bit about Sarah Potter and Arcturus Argent, and congratulations again on becoming Prefect._

 _Your Brother,_

 _Percy"_

There was a long silence, eventually broken by Orion.

"I think," he said carefully, "That for that letter, I owe Percy three instances of 'I told you so' and elven punches to the face. Sarah?"

Sarah cleared her throat and handed the letter back to Ron.

"Rest assured, Ron, if you want to, ah, 'break ties' with me, I shall not hold it against you. I shall, however, unleash Luna and the Twins upon you. But I swear I will not, personally, become violent."

Ron was flushed angrily now, and with jerky motions he tore the letter into pieces and scattered them into the fire.

"He is the world's biggest git." Growled the Weasley. Sarah cocked an eyebrow.

"No, I think Malfoy has that one."

"Which Malfoy?" Theia asked. Orion and Sarah replied together.

"Both."

Ron leaned back, eventually pulling his essay back towards him.

"Come on, I've got to get this done." He said briskly, and Hermione leaned towards him with a smile that was almost fond.

"Give it here." She said, pulling it from Ron. The boy looked indescribably grateful.

"Thank you, Hermione. You're a lifesaver."

"Maybe you won't leave it so late next time." The girl responded, but she looked amused all the same.

It was now past midnight, the common room deserted but for them, and Sarah leaned back in her chair and gazed emptily into the fire, were the letter burned. She had never really thought on it before: she knew that almost half of Hogwarts thought her mad or a liar, regardless of what she had done over the past years, but it had never truly struck her how many people might believe that. There was something wounding in the way that Percy, who had known her, who had always been nice enough, if aloof, was now thinking of her as deranged, unstable. And it angered her that Orion was slandered just for who he said his family was. It was as bad as Sirius…everyone thought he was a maniac who supported Voldemort. Sarah could see a sick humour in that. The only two people who could understand what she was experiencing, and one was her and the other a criminal on the run. It almost made her laugh, until an idea struck her.

"I'm going to bed," she announced, before lowering her voice, "I need to talk to Snuffles." Orion nodded at her.

"Say hi for me." He said before bidding her goodnight and returning to his thoughtful silence. Sarah made her way into her dormitory, sinking onto her bed and warding the bed curtains to isolate herself while she called Sirius on her two-way mirror. She would admit, this was far better than trying to speak over the Floo, and much harder to interrupt. Sirius, when he answered, did not look as tired as she had expected.

"Hey. What is it?" he asked. Sarah shrugged, momentarily at a loss for words, until something snapped and a flood of words came out, explaining all about the letter, about Umbridge, about nobody believing her. Sirius listened in sympathetic silence, until eventually there was nothing left and she fell quiet. She had not realised how much of a relief it was to be able to do that: yes, Orion might understand, but it wasn't the same. He was _her,_ almost _._ With Sirius it was more like a parent, and it made her feel…comforted.

"I'm not sure I can say much." Sirius admitted eventually. "I know it's hard, but…well. Umbridge is the big one, isn't she? Nasty piece of work, you should hear Remus talk about her."  
"Remus?"

"Oh, yeah. She drafted a bit of werewolf legislation a few years ago that made it almost impossible for him to get a job, poor sod. I don't think she's a Death Eater, but she's driving non-humans right to Voldemort with her bigoted laws. Not that he's much better, but he's better at hiding it. So, she isn't teaching you magic? And Orion called her out in class? Kids got balls, I'll give him that. Proud to call you my godchildren."

"You're a ray of light, Padfoot. Have you heard any news recently?"

"Apart from you? Nah. Haven't seen anyone from the Order all weekend, they've been busy. Just me, Buckbeak and Kreacher…not that I'm bitter or, you know, increasingly homicidal."  
Sarah laughed.

"Hang in there, Padfoot."

"Hey, what about next Hogsmeade weekend? I reckon the dog disguise worked well at the station, I can come along…"  
Sarah frowned, remembering Malfoy's comments.

"I don't know, Padfoot…I think Malfoy might have recognised you at the station."

Sirius' face fell, and Sarah hastily reassured him.

"But I'll talk to Orion, see what he thinks. Maybe we'll be able to think of something."

The smile Sirius gave just before he said goodbye lit up her night, and made her feel like maybe, things weren't so bad after all.

* * *

 **Firstly, my apologies for the Latin. It's probably wrong, but I did what I could. Secondly...well, this was a long one, whew. And lastly...enjoy. Read and Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Finally! I feel pretty bad over this taking so long, but it was just...difficult. Multiple revisions, and I'm not sure I got it right even then. Still, the show goes on. Read, enjoy and, if you would, review.**

 **Harry Potter is the property of J. K. Rowling.**

* * *

Sarah decided that she was wrong the next morning: things certainly were bad. The _Daily Prophet,_ never a harbinger of light and happiness for her, contained a story that had Hermione spluttering in outrage. Orion, unmoved by Hermione's shock, stole the paper and paraphrased.

"Let's see…Ministry reform…brown-nosing from Percy…pointless blathering…blatant shots at Dumbledore…business as usual. Ah, Umbridge appointed 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor'. Hmm. Basically a Ministry education inspector. No idea where she got the qualifications for that, but it was probably inevitable."

"More trouble for us then?" Sarah surmised. Orion nodded, neatly folding the paper and putting it down in front of Hermione. Hermione began complaining about how it was outrageous that the Ministry had given Umbridge the power to inspect other teachers, giving Orion a chance to stretch his sarcasm muscle.

"Oh, how terrible that the government should want some form of oversight over standards of teaching in the only school in Britain." He deadpanned. Hermione stared at him, and made a clicking noise in her throat. Sarah decided to intervene.

"Orion, be nice. You know that it's the fact that the person with the oversight is _Umbridge_ that she's complaining about."

Orion shrugged-Hermione stayed silent, though Sarah mentally catalogued her expression as _frowny face._ Orion spoke again.

"To be fair, in most other situations I'd see this as a welcome change. It's just that it's being used as a tool to discredit Dumbledore and bully staff. I wonder how quickly it would be dropped if people knew that it was very similar to the Muggle OFSTED?"

By people, Sarah knew, Orion was referring to the Purebloods behind Fudge- people like Lucius Malfoy.

"I'd give it a week or two at most." She commented idly. She might even be being generous in that assessment. Still, the thought amused her in a whimsical way. It also helped curb her anger at the smug look Umbridge wore.

"Well, we had best get to class." Hermione said, standing. "I wonder if Umbridge will be inspecting any of them today?"

"And there's the jinx." Mumbled Sarah, just loud enough for Orion to hear her.

Despite Sarah's misgivings over Hermione tempting fate, Umbridge was not in the History of Magic class that they had first thing, nor in the double Potions they had next. Sarah assumed that the 'P' grade she received on her homework was a product of spite from Snape rather than anything else, and focused on the potions work, using the method Orion preferred of copying down the instructions first. From the look of aggravation Snape wore at the end of the lesson Sarah suspected that she had done more than well in her work. She took a ludicrous degree of satisfaction in that. After a brief lunch, in which Fred and George ran through the OWL grades for some reason and Hermione made a nuisance of herself by harassing everybody over their Potions grade Sarah and Ron headed to Divination, while Orion and Hermione went to Ancient Runes. Sarah harboured a faint jealousy towards them for that, a jealousy that settled into solidity when Umbridge entered the room. Of all the classes to inspect…Sarah almost felt sorry for Trelawney. Poor woman. No one deserved to have Umbridge looking at them with a smile like that. As Sarah might have expected, Trelawney seemed off put, and the lesson dragged torturously by with Umbridge maliciously mocking Trelawney all the while. Sarah was glad to leave the class, but considerably less happy that Defence against the Dark Arts was next.

"Umbridge seems happy." Orion commented in a low voice as they entered the classroom. Sarah scowled.

"She's been tormenting Trelawney. Tried to get a Prophecy out of her- silly cow."

"Which one? Umbridge must have failed her Divination OWL if she thinks Trelawney can prophesise on command. Mad with power." Came the quiet response. Sarah shook her head silently. Umbridge, smiling widely, told them to read Chapter Two of the moronic Defence book. Sarah was glad that she had taken Orion's lead and disguised a different book as her textbook- in her case a book on Ancient Runes, rather than the book of borderline Dark magic Orion was thoughtfully thumbing through. It was aggravating that Umbridge had the gall to call this teaching, but there was nothing that could be done at the moment. And then Hermione just had to put up her hand.

"What is it this time, Miss Granger?" Umbridge eventually asked, her voice containing a definite sneer on the name.

"I've already read Chapter 2. Actually, I've read the whole book." Hermione replied calmly. Umbridge blinked in surprise, but recovered almost immediately.

"Well then, you can tell me what Slinkhard says about counter-jinxes in Chapter Fifteen." She said, with a slight smugness to her tone. Sarah wanted to laugh. As though Hermione would not have memorised the words.

"He says that there is no such thing as counter jinxes- that they are simply the name people give to their jinxes to make them sound more respectable."

Sarah raised an eyebrow- Umbridge was actually looking impressed. Mentally Sarah begged Hermione to end there, and to quit while she was ahead. But of course, things never went that well. Hermione opened her mouth again, so Sarah kicked her. Not hard, but enough to draw her attention and give her the slightest shake of the head. Hermione frowned slightly, but closed her mouth and looked at Umbridge. The toad-woman was now looking at Sarah with a distinctly hungry expression, and Sarah was glad that she didn't know what Umbridge was thinking.

"Something to add, Miss Potter?" the teacher asked, her voice poisonously mild. Sarah was unimpressed- Voldemort did a terrifying civil tone much more effectively.

"Not at all, Professor." Sarah replied blandly. Umbridge looked disappointed, but turned away.

"Miss Granger, when I tell you to read the second Chapter, I expect to be obeyed, regardless of whether you have read it before or not. I would have expected you to know as such, but as your teachers over the past years have been deplorable- indeed, only Professor Quirrel would have passed a Ministry inspection-"

Sarah bit her lip and clenched her jaw shut. Umbridge was obviously looking to get a rise out of her. The teacher continued to babble on, but Sarah was now devoting her attention to the rest of the class- the Gryffindor boys at least were looking annoyed. Sarah doubted Neville would say anything, and Ron had Hermione to keep him in check, so it was down to Seamus or Dean. Or Orion, of course, but that was highly unlikely.

"Quirrel was an idiot! He couldn't say three words without breaking down!" Dean protested. Umbridge gave him a deceptively sweet look.

"Are you insinuating that Professor Quirrel was not qualified to teach, despite being hired by Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Sarah felt her eyes widen. The bitch! She was trying to use Quirrel being inept against Dumbledore! For a brief, treacherous moment, Sarah wondered if she should just stay quiet and out of trouble, but a reflexive shard of loyalty to Dumbledore compelled her to act. She cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the Professor.

"I would say that Professor Quirrel must have been very competent when he was hired. It was only after his summer trip to Albania that he returned a nervous man. The rumours I heard were that he had a rather unpleasant Vampire encounter there."  
Oh, how the lies twisted in her throat. The things she did to keep the peace, Sarah thought dourly. She just hoped that none of her classmates decided to blurt out the rumours that she had been involved with Quirrel disappearing. The last thing she needed was to look more like a psychopath. Umbridge gave her a look that Sarah classed as aggravated, the narrow smile and slightly twitching eyes giving the teacher a reptilian look. Or would it be amphibian, since Umbridge looked like a toad? No matter.

"If you wish to speak then raise your hand, Miss Potter. Fifteen points from Gryffindor."

Sarah knew that she shouldn't take the bait. She knew it. But the woman really did annoy her, to the point that it was a struggle not to respond with childish quips. That was the point that her control failed.

"That's ridiculous! That many points for speaking without- you haven't taken points from anyone else!"

Umbridge maintained her smile, but it had an ugly edge to it.

"Nobody else has told lies, Miss Potter. I heard a lot about what happened to Professor Quirrel, and how you were involved. Violent even at so young…no wonder you were the only person to make it to the Triwizard Cup and back alive."

The insinuation was clear, and Sarah snapped.

"You bitch! Quirrel was working for Voldemort! He died because-"

Sarah was cut off by a Silencing spell that hit her from the side, and she snapped her head to the caster. Orion. His expression was one she recognised, flatly blank, with the underlying message: _don't make things worse._ The smirk that Umbridge wore turned Sarah's stomach.

"And I think that will be detention, Miss Potter. And you, Mr Argent. We do not cast spells in this class."

"No. I'd noticed that. If you wanted to avoid being shown up by students, I suggest you either become properly qualified or don't weasel into a teaching job." Orion said harshly. Umbridge snapped her head to him, a faint flush beginning on her face.

"What?"

Orion smiled cruelly.

"Oh, you think I wouldn't check? You aren't qualified for this job at all, are you? Tell me, did you even pass your OWL examinations? I suppose that gives you a good reason for wanting to pretend that Voldemort hasn't returned- after all, I doubt you could put up even a token effort against his worst Death Eaters. And by that, I mean most incapable."

Umbridge was gradually turning puce, and Sarah was reminded of Uncle Vernon. Maybe Orion would use the same spell on Umbridge that he'd used on Vernon? That would be nice. And then Sarah could use the woman as a piñata. Therapeutic. Sarah paused as she digested the realisation that horribly injuring someone shouldn't be therapeutic, but stored that thought away for later. Orion was staring down Umbridge, and he had half risen in his seat.

"Do it." He almost whispered, his voice low and somehow hungry. "Try it. Curse me. Cast spells at a student, and see if your Minister can save what's left of you."

For a moment Sarah thought that Umbridge might try her luck, but she obviously had some shards of a politician's ability to know restraint left.

"Get out of my classroom." The teacher said coldly, all pleasantry gone. Orion gave her a brief sneer, then tapped Sarah on the arm and nodded to her. Sarah chose to assume that the order applied to her as well, and followed. She caught up to Orion easily, and he made a brief gesture with his wand that cancelled the spell keeping her quiet.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Orion looked grim.

"McGonagall. I…I'm sorry about that, Sarah. I should have done something earlier."

He looked genuinely troubled, and Sarah couldn't help but feel sympathy.

"Not your fault. I should have kept my temper."

Orion gave a brief laugh.

"You did better than I ever did. Although it might have had side effects…"

He turned his face to her, and his grey eyes briefly turned to deep crimson. Sarah automatically reached up to her face, and swore.

"Did anyone-"

"I hit you with a glamour when I Silenced you. It'll hold until we get to McGonagall and you can fix it. At least your hair doesn't change colour."

Sarah growled under her breath, still angry over Umbridge. God only knew what the Ministry would make of her being a Metamorphmagus.

"Why McGonagall?" she asked eventually. Orion shrugged.

"If we went to Dumbledore I might do something I'd regret, given how annoyed I am that he couldn't find _any_ Defence Teacher. Even Snape would be better."

Sarah grunted in acknowledgement as they walked into McGonagall's office. The old Professor looked surprised to see them.

"Miss Potter. Mr Argent. May I ask what you are doing here?"

"Umbridge. She threw us out." Orion explained succinctly. McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Sarah sighed.

"She kept taking shots at me until I started shouting at her. Orion Silenced me. She gave us both detention. Orion started pushing her until she threw us out."

McGonagall gave them both a disapproving look, then sighed.

"Sit down, the pair of you. I assume you are aware of the consequences?"

"More or less. A horrible torturous detention, right Orion?"

Orion nodded slowly, handing Sarah a small hand mirror and letting the glamour he had cast drop. Sarah scowled as she saw her eyes, a deep, striking crimson, though a part of her noted that they matched her hair quite well. It was almost mesmerising. Orion broke her out of her musing with a cough.

"You might want to change back, Sarah."

She started, then nodded and concentrated, until her eyes were back to their normal vivid green.

"Satisfied? I hope you have a plan, Orion, because I'd prefer not to have my hand carved up for no reason."

Orion started to smirk.

"Of course I have a plan, Sarah. A devious, cunning, tricky, sneaky, masterfully deceptive plan. I'm quite proud of it."

"I can tell." Sarah commented dryly. "Did you spend long in a thesaurus waiting for this?"  
Orion waved his hand dismissively.

"Spending a lot of time around Hermione and Theia tends to induce verbosity. But on the other hand, there are easier ways to say things. It's just that I expect Professor McGonagall would appreciate having deniability."

"Yes. I think I rather would. Was there a particular reason why you came here?"

"Just so someone knew what had happened before the rumour started. If you don't mind Professor, I have a nefarious scheme to prepare for." Orion said brightly. McGonagall gave him a sceptical look, then nodded and waved the two of them out. Orion strolled ahead, humming under his breath, and Sarah started to get worried.

"Uh…Orion? You're starting to worry me." She said cautiously. Orion turned a benevolent smile upon her, complete with Dumbledore-esque twinkling eyes.

"You aren't the one who should be worried, Sarah. Now then…shall we go and plot, since Umbridge was kind enough to give us most of a class period free?"

"And to think I was worried about _my_ sanity." Sarah mumbled as she trailed after her ambiguously sane pseudo-sibling.

"Why are we in the bathroom that houses the Chamber of Secrets entrance?" Sarah asked, looking around. Orion gave her a sceptical look, and she sighed.

"Oh. Of course. You need somewhere private to do something shady."

"You learn well, my young Padawan."

Sarah gave him a confused look, and he tutted to himself.

"Right. Films not out yet. Sorry."

Sarah silently shook her head, then glared at the sink. She had been practising speaking Parseltongue without a snake nearby, but it was difficult.

~ _Open~_

There was a grating, grinding screech, and the sink shifted to reveal a darkly ominous hole. A smell of damp drifted up from it, and Sarah looked at it in disgust.

"How are you going to get down there?" she suddenly asked, realising that the hard landing from the slide would hardly be easy for Orion. He gave her a sceptical look.

"Wizard, remember?"

"Oh. Of course, _Arresto momentum,_ right?"

"Absolutely. Now…ladies first?"

"Shouldn't the gentleman be leaping first into danger?"

"I'm a cripple, not a gentleman."

"You're only a cripple when it suits you!"

"That is…absolutely right. Ok. I'll go first. Although…since when did you lose your taste for adventure, little Miss Boring?"

Orion hopped into the tunnel before Sarah could hit him, and she was left fuming and waiting until his voice drifted up from below.

"It's safe, scaredy-cat! You can come down!"

He seemed positively giddy. Sarah hated to think what he would be like if given coffee and sugar. On the other hand, that might be an opportunity to cause chaos at some point, and Sarah did appreciate a good bit of chaos. She slid down the tunnel, landing at the bottom with impressive grace that was somewhat spoiled by the grime that had coated itself onto her and the fact that Orion was excitedly examining a few scratches on the wall.

"What are you doing?"

Orion looked up.

"Oh. Sorry. I do want to be a tomb raider, remember? Being fascinated by all the things is a big part of that."

"Uh, yeah, but wall scratches? Really, Orion?"

"Oh. Yes. Um, I may have gotten overexcited at the thought of getting revenge on Umbridge. Sorry about that."

"I…right. Forgiven. How are we going to stop anyone from following us? And, more important, how are we going to get out?"

Orion looked worryingly unperturbed.

"I think that the sink entrance should…~ _close~_ when I order it. And as for getting out…there must be a way that doesn't involve a phoenix, or Ginny would never have been able to come down here and back up. I wonder if the shade of Tom Riddle was directing the attacks in Second Year, or whether he just released the Basilisk and hoped it got lucky?"

A faint grinding from above signalled that Orion had been right and that the sink was closing. Sarah would have been annoyed with how smug he looked, but she admitted he had worked the Parseltongue into the English flawlessly.

"Shall we get to exploring, or are you going to stand and look smug all day? _Lumos."_ Sarah said, holding up her wand. Orion grinned, his eyes sparkling in the magically cast white light.

"Let's go. I'm looking forward to looting this place and taunting Voldie about it."

Sarah grinned maliciously as the two of them strode off towards the Chamber. She wondered if she could use the connection between her and Voldemort to send _him_ visions. It would be satisfying. And maybe give him an aneurysm from rage. Orion laughed when she mentioned the thought aloud.

"It would certainly be a novel way of getting rid of him." He commented. They returned to silence for a brief moment, until they reached the imposing doors to the Chamber, clambering over the rubble left by the Lockhart induced cave-in three years earlier.

"I wonder," Sarah said, "You said that Ron got the Chamber to open for him? But he isn't a Parselmouth, and surely imitating it wouldn't be enough?"

Orion seemed to consider.

"I wouldn't have thought so. But then again…Hogwarts was in danger, and the castle is nigh-sentient. It's possible that the Chamber has more or less leeway depending on the circumstances. After all, Salazar would still have wanted the school protected when he built the Chamber."

"I suppose that's true. Interesting theory. Do you know much about the Founders?"

"A bit, I suppose. Voldemort did quite a lot of research, but remembering things that he knew tends to be a bit…fuzzy. There are some things that he was very interested in- Inferi creation, for example- that I can barely recall the memory of, and there are some things he hardly cared about that are vivid in my mind. Regardless…from what I can tell, of the Founders Ravenclaw was the brain, Gryffindor was the brawn, Hufflepuff was the heart and Slytherin was the craftsman who made it all happen. They sound like an excellent team."

"So…we're in the House of dumb muscle?" Sarah asked doubtfully. Orion gave her an amused look.

"I didn't say Godric was dumb muscle. I said he provided the brawn. There's a subtle difference."

Sarah rolled her eyes and spoke.

~ _Open~_

The doors rolled back, and Sarah braced herself for the smell of rot and decay that she thought would come from the dead Basilisk. Instead the smell was of damp, cold stone, a musty smell that made her nose wrinkle, but nothing else.

"Shouldn't there be a dead Basilisk smell?"

"I…no idea. I thought so too, but…it's just a skeleton. Hmm. I'm not sure how fast things decay, but I don't think it should have been picked so clean so fast. We'll ask Theia later, she'll know."

"Great. Another mystery. Now, any idea what we're looking for?"

"Anything and everything, Sarah. A library. A potions lab. A workshop. I doubt that Slytherin would have built the Chamber just for his snake, and this would be a perfect place for work that leans towards the darker end of magic. Actually, with that in mind we'd best stay together."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Sarah mumbled, falling into step with Orion. Her alternate was holding his wand in his left hand, and his right had shifted slightly on his cane- she suspected that he was prepared to Transfigure it into a blade at a moment's notice. It made sense as an idea to her, at any rate. Orion was scanning the Chamber around him, a nimbus of light being cast around him by several small globes of light that weaved around his body- a variant on the _Lumos_ charm, Sarah presumed.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, kneeling on the floor. Sarah frowned and squinted at him, barely able to see the markings on the floor that he was tracing.

"What is it?"

"It's…hmm. I'd say that it's the written form of Parseltongue. I can't read it- I doubt anyone could- but… _Recitare."_

As he spoke the spell, Orion pressed his wand against the carvings, and they began to glow. From all around them a hissing voice sounded, intelligible only to them.

~ _The Pure Blood of those who speak the noble tongue opens the gateway. ~_

"Oh, how cryptic." Orion mused, standing back up. Sarah sagged.

"Well, that's that. Neither of us are Pureblood, and no Pureblood we know speaks Parseltongue. We've no way of gaining access."  
"I…actually, that might not be true." Orion said carefully. Sarah stared at him.

"What?"

"Well…you know, I've always wondered how the wizarding world defines blood. Me, you, Voldemort, we're all classed as Half-blood, yet our parents were both Magical whereas Voldemort was born of a Muggle and a near-squib. Is the child of two Muggleborn Pureblood or Half-blood or still seen as Muggleborn? Do two Half-Bloods make a three-quarter-blood? Anyway. Voldemort never tried to open this place, he never found the carving, but what he found of Salazar Slytherin would suggest that magic was more important to the man than blood. He despised Muggles and wasn't fond of Muggleborn, but he acknowledged them as Magical. So…"

"You think that we might qualify where Voldemort doesn't. But how do we-"  
"Blood, I think. Dripped onto the markings. Old magic, technically Dark, still secure." Orion said calmly, picking up his cane and passing his wand over it. The side furthest away from him turned to razor edged, silvery steel. Sarah grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing? Do you have no sense of self-preservation?"

"Says the girl who practically jumped down the throat of a Basilisk. Step back, Sarah, I'd prefer you didn't get caught if this goes wrong."

Sarah didn't let go.

"Why are you suddenly being an idiot? There have to be safer ways to test this!"

"Probably. But, well, what's life without a little risk?"

Sarah suddenly realised that Orion had angled his wand to point at her, but before she could react he had hit her with a Body-Bind spell. He caught her before she could topple, and carefully levitated her to lean on the wall, refusing to meet her furious gaze.

"I really am sorry, Sarah. But this needs to be tried and, as my Dumbledore said so long ago, 'Your blood is far more valuable than mine'."

Sarah struggled against the spell he had cast, but Orion was more practiced and, with the Horcrux still leeching from her, more powerful. She had no hope of breaking free, not before the idiot risked death for no real reason. Orion tucked his wand back into his robes, taking his cane in his left hand and pressing the tip of a finger to the blade.

"Blood. A price to be paid." He said, almost idly, and flicked his hand to that three drops of crimson liquid splashed onto the markings on the Chamber floor. The markings lit with bloody light, and Sarah felt her eyes widen as dark red mist began to swirl from them, coalescing into the form of a massive snake. Not as huge as the Basilisk, it still reared more than six feet high, forcing Orion to tilt his head to look up at it.

~ _So, are you the guardian, or the greeter? ~_ Orion hissed. The snake tilted its head, and what almost seemed like laughter issued from its spectral mouth.

~ _Ah, foolish boy. I had almost forgotten…a Gryffindor, hmm? This should be interesting…"_

Without warning, the snake reared up and lunged at Orion, curling its body around him and sinking fangs into his neck. If Sarah could have moved or shouted she would have then, as Orion stiffened on the spot, his mouth opening in silent pain and surprise and his eyes widening in shock. His left hand went limp, cane falling to the ground, while his right closed into a fist with spasmodic, jerky motions. After seemingly an eternity the snake withdrew, leaving Orion standing, swaying slightly.

~ _Good enough.~_ came the whispering, rasping voice, laced with what seemed like disappointment. Sarah saw the snake dissipate into mist, leaving a ruby-coloured mist in the air for a brief moment, but she was distracted by Orion finally crumpling. Not an elegant fall, not first to his knees, but a boneless collapse onto the hard ground. Sarah tried to fight the spell still on her, but it held fast- a cold consolation, as it meant her alternate was still alive. He lay still, not moving even a fraction, and Sarah gave a scream of mental frustration as she fought her bonds. If Orion was alive but in a coma…they could both die down here, their bones left and never to be recovered. All that would be remembered was that Sarah Potter and Orion Argent had vanished one day, if Voldemort let even that much knowledge of them remain.

Sarah could not have said how long she waited, but a small, logical part of her recognised that it couldn't have been more than half an hour before Orion stirred. She felt a vast wave of relief wash through her as he slowly stood, fumbling his wand from his robes with uncertain fingers and breaking the spell that held her. Sarah staggered briefly when she felt the spell leave, but regained her balance quickly and rushed over to Orion, anger bleeding away to worry as she saw him start to fall. She ducked slightly, catching his left arm across her shoulders and supporting him as his legs gave way.

"You were right." Orion mumbled. Sarah squared her shoulders to hold her slightly taller and heavier alternate up.

"What about?" she asked, noticing that his left hand was still limp and his voice was rasping.

"I'm an idiot."

Sarah gave a weak chuckle, pulling the wand from his right hand. She focused, waving the wand and trying a Conjuration, much as she had seen Dumbledore do on a few occasions. The attempt at Conjuring a chair was considerably less impressive than the plush, squashy armchair Dumbledore managed, more like a hard wooden chair, but it was good enough for her to dump Orion onto. He lolled in the chair, looking indescribably tired.

"Are you…stupid question." Sarah said. Orion managed to crack open one eye.

"Am I alright? I…don't think so. Maybe?"

"That's not very descriptive. What did that snake _do_ to you?"

Orion let his head tilt so that his chin was slumped on his chest, muffling his voice, though not enough to make it impossible for Sarah to hear.

"It was…testing. Testing my magic, to see if I was worthy. It was an unpleasant experience."  
"Unpleasant?" Sarah muttered, remembering how Orion had gone rigid and the look of utter pain in his eyes. Orion didn't respond to her, instead wearily gazing at his left hand, still unresponsive.

"What's wrong with you hand?" Sarah asked. Orion sighed, shook his head.

"Do you know how this hand works? No? It's a conjuration. Ordinarily it would vanish after a short while, but it's been tied into my magic. In essence, I'm constantly feeding it, and Wormtail is feeding the one he has. That is what allows it to act as, well, a hand. When the snake 'tested' my magic it was like…like a jolt of electricity. Basically, it disrupted the flow of magic, and so my hand is-"

"Just an inanimate conjuration now?" Sarah finished, her eyebrows raising. Orion nodded slowly.

"Yes. Not the best result, but not the worst. I need to…oh. Maybe I won't."

Orion had tried to stand up, but his legs had almost immediately given way and he slumped back into the uncomfortable chair. Sarah stared.

"Apparently that snake had a similar opinion on blood purity as its creator and his Heirs. That bloody hurts." Orion commented, almost offhandedly.

"Well, at least you seem more awake. I was sure that you weren't going to wake up after being bitten and we'd both die down here." She said, slightly irritably. Orion gave a fractional shrug.

"I have faith that Theia would be able to get in here and rescue you."

Ordinarily, Sarah would have shouted at him for implying that he didn't need rescuing, but there was something about the emphasis that made her think that he didn't mean that. It was almost as though he was saying that it didn't matter if he died, because she had other people to help her. That couldn't be…Sarah kept her mouth shut, resolving to talk to Theia the next chance that she got. Apparently unaware of his lapse, Orion gave her a pleading look.

"Can I have my wand back?"

Sarah blinked at him, surprised. She had forgotten that the wand sitting so comfortably in her hand was Orion's, not her own.

"Oh…yes. Here." She said, handing it over with a certain amount of reluctance that Sarah was sure Orion would have noticed had he not still been so tired. He tilted his left arm carefully, pressing the wand against the wrist, where flesh joined silver, and frowning. Sarah watched with interest. She knew that he wasn't actually casting a spell: rather, he was trying to direct his magic to 'flow' through the construct hand again. At least, that was what she assumed. It said a lot about how Orion felt that his hair actually changed colour when the silver fingers started to slowly move again, resulting in him having dark blond locks that looked disconcertingly like Gilderoy Lockhart. Sarah couldn't help but laugh. Orion gave a tired smile.

"Sometimes being a Metamorph is hard. Shall we investigate Slytherins secret? I think I've recovered just about enough."

Sarah gave him a dubious look, but chose not to argue as he stood. She noticed that he used a spell to retrieve his cane, rather than crouching down for it, and guessed that his exhaustion was more physical than magical. Clearly the snake 'testing' his magic had shaken him rather more than he wanted to admit.

"So, what did the snake do? Did it do anything? It bloody better have." Orion rambled. Sarah ignored him for the moment, casting her gaze around the Chamber until it fell upon a dark- well, darker- square shape along one wall. She waved to attract Orion's attention and walked over there, finding a large, open doorway that led to a dark corridor.

"Well. This is interesting. Think it's trapped?" Orion asked. Sarah tilted an eyebrow at him.

"Why would Slytherin booby-trap a place only he could access?"

"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you." Orion replied obscurely, before looking at her expectantly. Sarah scowled at him and waved her wand in the complex pattern of a standard detection spell.

"Nothing. But don't you think that Slytherin would have traps that don't show up on that?"

"The Founders were powerful and cunning, but that spell is from the eighteen hundreds. I doubt that Slytherin had come up with any spells and traps that would last a thousand years and not be discovered. Still…"

Orion cast his own, more complex, spell, causing a wave of misty green to float down the corridor, filling the air. Sarah glanced at him, interested, and saw the struggle on his face.

"Magic still isn't working right." He grunted in explanation. "Probably need a few hours to settle again. Bastard snake. Anyway, that was a trap trigger spell. It _should_ have set off any traps it encountered."

"What if there was a trap that would cause a cave in?" Sarah asked. Orion froze, a look of utter alarm crossing his face. Sarah swore.

"You idiot!" she yelled. Orion cringed.

"I really am more tired than I…look, I knew it wouldn't cave in. Slytherin wouldn't risk the internal integrity of Hogwarts, right?"

"Bollocks. You hadn't thought of that! Are you _trying_ to get us killed?"

"Uh…no. Not you, anyway. Risking someone else's life isn't good form."  
"Oh for the love of…you have a worse hero complex than I do. Idiot."

"Sorry." Orion said. Sarah gave him a look that held two parts annoyance and one concern. He was still pale, and his eyes seemed duller than normal. That snake had done something, she was sure of it, but they needed to get out of the Chamber. Sarah hoped he held on that long.

"Well…just stay behind me. You don't look in any condition to survive anything." She eventually said, setting off down the corridor. The fact that Orion didn't even give a token protest said far more than she liked. He was following quietly enough, but he was also seemingly unable to walk in a straight line. Which worried her.

"Do I look that bad?" Orion asked from behind. She glanced at him, gave a stiff nod. He was losing control of his Metamorphmagus abilities now, and his expression made her think that it was because he was concentrating on something else. His hair was black as always, but it had shortened to an unruly mess, and his eyes were different colours: one vivid, crimson red, and the other bright green. She really wished that she could contact…wait. She had her two-way mirror.

"Theia!" she hissed, urgent yet quiet. The familiar face came into view on the mirror, one pale eyebrow raised.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice laced with the dreamy quality that had been returning ever since they had gone back to Hogwarts. Sarah pointed the mirror at Orion, and the dreaminess vanished.

"Where are you?"

"The Chamber. Slytherin had another area, we're looking through it. I'm betting there's an easy exit from there."

Theia nodded.

"Get him somewhere open, take his wand and find the exit. Call me when you get there. Be careful."

"Always." Sarah replied tightly, glancing at Orion who had heard and was wordlessly handing over both his wand and the one he had taken from the Voldemort of his world. She took them, and kept walking until the corridor opened up into a room that she guessed was huge, the flickering light of her _Lumos_ not enough to light it up, but enough to discern the massive cupboards along the walls and the benches covered in cauldrons of different sizes. Old, yet still preserved by some magic. Sarah looked at Orion as he limped across to the closest thing that resembles a chair and collapses into it.

"Go. I'll be alright." He said vaguely. Sarah, not needing to be told twice, immediately set off across the room, towards a dark shape on the far wall that she guessed was another corridor. It proved to lead to a cross-road corridor of sorts, which she guessed led to multiple exits. Hoped that it led to multiple exits. Fortunately, her usual adventure specific luck seemed to be in action, and after following the path in the centre she came to a dead end with a tiny carving of a snake on the wall. Sarah didn't hesitate.

 _~Open~_

The words fell easily from her lips, too much worry for her to realise that she had consciously spoken Parseltongue. Sarah pulled out her mirror, Theia appearing on it almost immediately.

"I can see you on the Map. I'll be there in a few minutes." She said. Sarah didn't question how Theia had managed to get access to the Marauders Map, lingering nervously in the corridor until Theia strode up.

"How is he?" asked the dimension traveller as they walked quickly back into the corridor. Sarah paused for a moment after closing the door behind them.

"Uh…not good. His eyes are different colours."

"Oh. Well, not good isn't wrong, then."

They didn't speak another word until they had returned to the area of the Chamber where Sarah had left Orion. He was sitting where Sarah had left him, head cradled in his hands. His hair had grown longer, spilling over his collar.

"Orion?" Theia said cautiously. The laugh that Orion let out was entirely wrong, far too gleeful and dark, with something strained behind it.

"Not quite." He rasped, tilting his face up and looking at Theia with red and green eyes. He move to stand, but Theia was almost as fast on the draw as Orion on his best day, and a Stunning spell hit his chest. Theia, lips pursed, levitated the unconscious body onto the nearest bench. Sarah stared at Orion, remembering the last time she had heard that tone. The Boggart. Lament. She looked at Theia, who was looking oddly guilty.

"Mind telling me why Orion has gone all Dark Lord again?" Sarah asked, with fragile calm. Theia looked down at the ground, seeming unable to meet Sarah's gaze.

"Ah. Yes. There may have been some things we…left out of the story."


	14. Chapter 14

**As in Foxes Fate, sorry for the delay. I lost a bit of momentum, and then Christmas hit, so...on the other hand, two updated stories in as many days. Woo. Success.**

 **I am not the owner of Harry Potter. A real blow to my bank account.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Theia didn't immediately follow up her statement, instead conjuring several sets of thin ropes that she tied around Orion. As a final touch, she conjured and added a cloth gag.

"Why not just use a Silencing charm?" Sarah asked, confused. Theia didn't look at her.

"Because Lament has skills that Orion doesn't, and I don't want to risk one of them being wandless magic. Lament can be quite…well. From what I understand, he's quite talkative, but not in a nice way."

"You mean you've never met him? I thought Lament was…like…Orion's split personality or something?"

Theia looked taken aback.

"Yes." She murmured. "I can see how we gave that impression. Sit down, Sarah- this isn't going to be easy to hear."

Theia pointed Sarah to a chair, and she sat without much hesitation, mind whirling as Theia woke Orion…Lament. She said some words that Sarah couldn't hear as Lament squirmed, then walked back to Sarah, who was starting to lose patience.

"Talk." She said, a little harshly. Theia gazed at her with troubled grey eyes, then nodded.

"I suppose I had better start from the beginning. Voldemort hitting Orion with the Killing Curse."

"You said that The Horcrux protected him from it." Sarah said flatly. Theia closed her eyes and nodded slightly.

"We did. But Horcruxes don't…they don't work like that. Orion should have died. Did die. But then…Voldemort had ruined things when he took Orions blood for his resurrection. Effectively, Voldemort made himself into a pseudo Horcrux, one that lasted long enough for Orion to return to life, since the Killing Curse doesn't damage the body. But…he didn't return alone."

"The spirit shard." Sarah whispered, feeling ill. It explained where the knowledge that Voldemort had held had come from. Theia nodded, and Sarah was surprised to see that her eyes shimmered slightly, as though with tears.

"It was…after he was hit by the spell, he lost his hand, and he Apparated away from me. I couldn't catch him in time…the next I knew he was on a rampage. And one of his eyes was red. It took me a while to realise it, but he acted more like Voldemort. The way he talked, the way he moved, the way he fought…still Orion, but with that edge to him."

"He was possessed?" Sarah asked, horrified at the thought. Theia slowly nodded her head.

"I…more or less. It's hard to tell without asking him, and he won't talk about it. But over time, he became less like Voldemort. More like himself again. And then he stopped killing people. Found me. Tried to…he was just…broken. And then, not three months later, he was arrested."

Sarah paused for a moment as she sorted through the questions she had, and eventually chose the most important one to her.

"What did you mean by more or less possessed?"

Theia carefully brushed a strand of hair away from her face, apparently considering how to best answer.

"Generally," she said slowly, "A full possession requires overwhelming the host both mentally and magically. The thing is that Voldemort himself couldn't overpower Orion mentally- you've demonstrated that by breaking his Imperius curse- and the tiny shard would have even less chance in both ways. However, what it could do was direct Orion when he was vulnerable. In pain, unstable sanity…essentially, from what I can tell, the shard tried to take over and failed. But instead it produced Lament. Lament is, in essence, Orion, but an Orion without conscience, indulging in his darkest desires. I can't really-"

Sarah held up a hand, wanting to refute what Theia said but unable. Had she not felt a thrill of dark delight, deep down, when the snake at the zoo had chased Dudley, long before she knew she was magical? Had she not felt a savage satisfaction at seeing Quirrel scream and flail at her touch? Had she not been tempted to try and wrest control of the Basilisk from Tom Riddle, to let Lupin and Sirius kill Pettigrew, even to leave Fleur to the mercies of an Imperiused Krum? She had resisted, but she knew that if she had been in Orion's state of mind, with the shard of the Dark Lord whispering seductively in her mind…Sarah shuddered. Theia nodded slowly.

"To be good is not to be empty of evil desires, but to have and to refuse them." She said, almost sounding like she was quoting something. Sarah ignored it in favour of looking over at Lament, who had gone rigid and seemed to be fighting with something.

"How did Orion get rid of Lament the first time?" she asked cautiously. Theia leaned against the back of her chair.

"He just…won, I suppose would be the way of saying it. He forced the Voldemort shard down inside himself, locked it away, and hoped he would never have to deal with it again. It wasn't enough to save Voldemort after all, so it was just a relic of a darker time."

"So when the snake disrupted his magic…"

"It must have let the shard escape. But Orion should be able to manage it. I hope he can." Theia said. She whispered the last part, and Sarah almost didn't hear her. Sarah herself devoted her mind to working out something else, but a flash of realisation interrupted her thoughts.

"He's trying to get himself killed." She said, in an utterly flat tone. This time, Theia _did_ have tears in her eyes.

"He…yes. He was…When the verdict of execution was given, he just nodded. And he told me he was sorry for everything. I couldn't stop…I had to help him. It took convincing him that you could go the same way as him without help to get him here. I thought he was getting better, but…"

Sarah, despite every instinct she had that told her to avoid physical contact- any physical contact, really, she was a bit odd that way- gently leaned over and hugged the smaller girl. To her surprise, Theia simply leaned against her, actually crying now. She hadn't expected either of the sardonic, cheerfully confident dimension travellers to ever react like this, but the back of her mind- the smart bit, she acknowledged- pointed out that both of them probably needed a whole lot of therapy. Therapy that, unfortunately, the wizarding world seemingly hadn't realised existed yet. So, you do the best you can, Sarah thought grimly. She wasn't exactly qualified to deal with anything emotional, but…Theia leaned back, and Sarah wordlessly conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. Theia took it with a grateful nod, wiping her eyes.

"He isn't suicidal, though." Sarah mumbled, thinking. Theia sniffed slightly before replying.

"No. He isn't. He just doesn't care about his own life. He thinks that-"

"It's worth less than everyone else." Sarah finished quietly. Theia glanced over at Orion's form, lying still.

"I think he's convinced that everyone would be better off, that _I_ would be better off, without him."

"He's an idiot." Sarah said, as reassuringly as she could. Theia turned a sad, slightly watery smile on her, and Sarah smiled gently back.

"But I know better than to think you don't have a plan. Wait…you said that Orion is basically being possessed…the exorcism!"

Theia nodded slowly.

"It has to be a powerful area exorcism. Orion hoped that it'll deal with him as well as you- after all, the spirit inside him is technically a part of Voldemort."

Sarah wanted to ask why the Exorcism wouldn't work with the spirit in Orion and the spirit in her, without Voldemort being involved, but her own mind supplied the answer: it had to be attracted to a vessel. Attempting it would only result in Orion or Sarah having a larger chunk of Voldemort in them- and that was if two such tiny fragments could work. Sarah knew that the Diadem Horcrux hadn't.

"If this works…wouldn't the spirit allow Voldemort to learn everything that Orion has done?" Sarah asked, leaning forward slightly in her seat.

"Yes. But it won't matter by then." Theia answered quietly. "We will have all the Horcruxes except Nagini, and knowledge will not save Voldemort. If the shard even knows anything of use. Orion would be the best person to ask."

Sarah glanced over at Orion, who seemed to have relaxed back.

"How do we know if he's himself again?"

Theia looked nervously at Orion.

"Well…the easiest way is to see if he's still different. Physically. Lament apparently doesn't have control over his Metamorphmagus abilities, or he has less control."

Sarah nodded, remembering how Orion's hair had lengthened and his eyes had become mis-matched. She carefully edged over to Orion, but his eyes were closed.

"No good. Anything else? He seems to be unconscious again."

Theia motioned with her free hand.

"Move away" she instructed quietly, before carefully levitating Orion.

"Revive him, would you?"

Sarah pointed her own wand.

" _Enervate."_

Sarah almost flinched as Orion's eyes snapped open, but they were an odd green-grey, not vivid green and glaring red. She frowned, realising that the colour was a mix of Theia's silvery and his own green. Odd, or perhaps not.

"I'm not going to assume that you're you again. I've no doubt that Lament is more capable than he ever showed. So, how do I check who you are, hmm?" Theia said, her voice carefully controlled. Orion blinked slowly, still unable to speak. Sarah carefully cleared her throat.

"What about his Patronus? Can Lament even cast one?"

Theia frowned lightly, pointing her wand at Orion.

"I don't know…but it would probably be different. So we can try, I suppose."

"Isn't it dangerous to give him a wand?"

Theia bit her lip lightly.

"Life is dangerous. Keep your wand on him." She replied, moving her arm so that Orion was fixed in a position with his right hand held out straight and away from his body, away from them. Theia walked closer and looked into his eyes.

"I'm going to put your wand into your hand. Cast the Patronus, nothing else. You understand?"

A nod, and Sarah marvelled at how composed Theia was now. She levelled her wand, and so did Theia, who had taken a few steps back. A twitch of Theia's wand, and the cloth over Orions mouth fell away.

" _Expecto patronum."_ Came the soft incantation, and the shining silver Thestral blossomed into being. A wave of relief flowed over Sarah, barely ahead of the comforting feel from the Patronus. The bindings fell off Orion, and barely a second later Theia hit him like a human missile, arms hugging around his ribs in an embrace so tight that it must have hurt. Sarah swore she saw Orion nearly stagger, but he maintained his balance and wrapped his own arms around Theia, resting his head on hers.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, barely loud enough for Sarah to hear, and she turned away, feeling like she was witnessing something private. She heard a slight, muffled laugh from Theia, and a reply that she couldn't hear. It made her feel…it made her heart ache somehow, Sarah decided. She jumped slightly as she felt a hand touch her shoulder- harder than flesh. Metal. Orion.

"Are you alright?" she asked, turning to face him. He made no move towards any more physical contact. She appreciated that, in a sorrowful sort of way. Too many similarities.

"I have the feeling that I should be the one asking that." Orion replied slowly. Sarah cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh? I can't imagine why you would say that, after dragging me into an unexplored Chamber, triggering several traps, being utterly reckless and going Dark Lord. No, no apology needed."

Orion hung his head, and Sarah felt a stab of remorse. That was unnecessary.

"And I'm being honest. It wasn't that bad. But. I need the truth, Orion, not whatever Theia has surmised. Truth. From you."

Orion raised his head, motioned to the chair.

"If you insist. It might be a relief to tell it."

Theia sat herself in her chair, turning keen grey eyes onto Orion. Sarah did similar. Orion perched himself on the bench, running a hand through now unruly hair.

"Where to begin. Well. Voldemort, of course. Voldemort was…quite a man. Evil, sadistic, insane, but if there is something to admire about him, it's his determination. He should never have been able to make seven Horcruxes. As the soul is split it becomes…denser. Meaning that it takes more to split again. The pain involved must have been incredible. And the hardest one, of course, required the power of a Killing Curse."

"Nagini was the last Horcrux, wasn't she?" Sarah asked. Orion shook his head slowly.

"I can't be sure. By this point- the point he created the Nagini Horcrux- Voldemort barely has a soul. It might have been easy. Either that or he simply has a worryingly good connection with the beast. Or a horrendous pain threshold. But the point is…he is terrified of death. He clings to life with almost unmatched willpower. Why, do you think, he never became a true ghost?"  
Sarah frowned at that question, reviewing what she knew of ghosts. It was…not a lot.

"What are ghosts, exactly?" she eventually asked. Theia answered.

"A ghost is an imprint of a person. They tend to be confined to one area, generally of high magic, but some move around. They retain the memories and personalities of their life." She recited, sounding oddly like Hermione. Orion clicked his tongue.

"Exactly. Ghosts are the imprints of those who were too tied to life to leave. So why didn't Voldemort leave one behind?"

Sarah simply stared at him.

"Stop trying to change the subject."

Orion sagged slightly.

"Well, if you insist. The truth is, the shard of Voldemort that caused Lament is not…not a Horcrux shard. It can't be."

Orion hesitated, and his words seemed to be dragged reluctantly from him.

"Shortly after taking control, when Lament was strongest, he went searching for something that he believed could bring back Voldemort. At that point the shard or whatever had more or less taken control, and believed himself to be the spirit of Voldemort, possessing me. He located Lucius Malfoy, dragged him to the graveyard in Little Hangleton and performed the ritual of resurrection, using my blood."

Sarah stared at Orion as he paused. His eyes had darkened in colour, now a blue that was almost black.

"It didn't work." She said quietly. Orion let out a short, harsh laugh.

"No. It didn't. And neither did a repeat using the blood of Cornelius Fudge, and nor did a repeat using the blood of Susan Bones. And then Lament crushed Malfoy's skull and went to find someone else, because he thought Malfoy must not have fulfilled the 'loyal servant' part of the criteria. The last one was…the last one was an attempt with Rookwood and the blood of Ron Weasley. That was the point when I managed to snap out of his control, more or less. Unfortunately, it was too late. The rampage was done. So many people dead…and I remember all of it. I had been gaining more and more control ever since I was first possessed, but… Well. I was thinking that I could still resurrect Voldemort and kill him immediately, get the whispering out of my mind. Obviously, it didn't work."

Orion still sounded grim, and there was a wealth of sadness in his voice, along with something unsaid. Sarah decided not to ask as he continued.

"So, I managed to regain control enough that I started having brief bouts of sanity, and in one of those bouts I managed to realise that I had to stop the whispering. So, in a highly dangerous bit of experimental magic, I forced my Occlumency inwards, essentially creating another barrier _inside_ my mind, partitioning off Lament. Voldemort. Whoever. And that lasted until the damn snake trap disrupted it."

Sarah sat silently for a minute or so, then asked a quiet question.

"The ritual didn't fail because of disloyalty, did it?" she asked. Orion closed his eyes.

"I don't think so. I think that the Voldemort in me isn't a soul shard at all. I think it might just be an imprint of him, like a ghost. But that means that he wouldn't really be able to possess me. That means I wasn't really forced to do all those things. Lament isn't really possessed by Voldemort. Lament is just…me, without restraint."

Orion opened his eyes again, fixing Sarah with a dark gaze.

"It means that I have the capacity to be just as bad as Tom Riddle. He who fights monsters… you want to know why I don't consider myself as valuable as you, Sarah? Because my soul is stained with endless crimson. A sacrifice made for the rest of the world, and it all went wrong in the end."

After a short quiet, Orion clapped his hands together.

"Right!" he said, alarmingly brightly. "Enough angst and sorrow, we have laws to break!"

Sarah stared at him in flat shock. He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, I feel much better now that I've said all that. I'm not likely to return to being homicidal anytime soon, but I would quite like to be doing something other than thinking about my past."

"Like what?" Sarah questioned. Theia stood and stretched.

"I assume it has something to do with Umbridge?" she asked. Orion grinned sharply.

"Oh, yes. I have something very special in mind for her, and I had hoped that old Salazar would have given me the tools for it. Unfortunately it appears that all the ingredients stored in his secret laboratory have decayed over time, so I'll need some more. Good thing I can get Kreacher to help, I suppose."

Sarah looked at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering how much of it was an act and how much was insanity. She supposed that so long as he didn't snap it didn't really matter- she was no therapist. Besides, Orion seemed _mostly_ sane.

"What exactly do you need potion ingredients for?" She asked instead. Orion began to walk around the nearest bench, sweeping his gloved hand across it to brush away the dust.

"Ah. Well, that would be another thing from Voldemort. You see, Tom Riddle didn't know what he was researching when he was on his way to becoming a Dark Lord- he simply looked up everything he could that was on the forbidden list. As such, he learned a lot that he wouldn't consider useful, but I find very handy- assuming I know it. Most of his memories are fragmented and vague. Point, is, I have a plan for Umbridge, using an old and obscure potion. You see, this potion allows the linking of two people who drink it, allowing them to experience feelings from each other. In this case, I would suggest we link me and Umbridge so that we feel each other's pain long enough for the detention."

Sarah waited while she scratched her nose, a delaying action while she sorted out her protests. Eventually she decided that she was just going to have to take it on the chin and be direct.

"This is illegal, isn't it?"

Orion tried and failed to look offended, then held his hand out flat and rocked it from side to side.

"Kind of."

"Kind of?" Sarah questioned dangerously. Orion swallowed.

"Vaguely?" he tried. Sarah stepped forward, a menacing look on her face. Orion backed away. Fortunately, Theia intervened.

"What Orion means is that the potion he is talking about, the blood potion, is in a rather grey area."

"A grey area? Is that even a thing in magic?" Sarah interrupted. Theia gave her a tolerant glance.

"A grey area legally. As in, if you get caught and successfully tried it's not Azkaban worthy, more like a fine. But yes, probably illegal."

"How does something end up in that situation?" wondered Sarah. Orion answered.

"Before the Cruciatus was invented torture was a little more risky, since you had to cause actual damage. With these potions you could torture someone who wasn't…valuable."

Sarah swallowed.

"Oh. Right. That sounds pretty nasty though…why wasn't it outlawed?"

Orion gave a brief, harsh laugh, a laugh filled with cynicism.

"Because banning it, as most things of that nature, is really the responsibility of the ICW. And the ICW is corrupt beyond belief. How do you think they were persuaded to sack Dumbledore?"

"Corrupt? In what way?" Sarah asked cautiously. Orion looked to Theia, who shrugged.

"The founding members were not all good. Many are recorded as Dark Wizards or even Dark Lords, and they were quite able to pull the wool over the eyes of their fellows. I suspect the involvement of Plimpies. Saltwater, maybe."

Sarah ignored the last mumbling, wondering why Theia continued to pretend to be eccentric. Or maybe she was eccentric. Maybe it was her way of coping. It didn't matter, really.

"So they didn't completely ban it in case they needed it? Why are the Unforgiveables banned, then?"  
Orion sniffed.

"The Unforgiveable Curses were created by one man, a genius Dark Lord who called himself Mordigaunt. At that time the ICW was largely comprised of respectable Light wizards, who did the right thing, and were sensible enough to make the judgement impossible to repeal. Of course, that era didn't last long since Mordigaunt massacred a lot of them, but their legacy lasted after his death and theirs."

"Mordigaunt." Sarah said flatly. Orion shrugged.

"He chose the name, not me. Besides, being a Dark Lord who chooses their own name seems to require a bit of ridiculousness. Consider Voldemort."

Sarah had to admit that Orion had a point there. But still. Mordigaunt? Really? Where had that come from? Focus, Sarah, she reminded herself.

"Anyway…back to what I was saying. We can't do something illegal. Umbridge will have us dragged off and dosed to the gills with Veritaserum in no time."

Orion looked triumphant, and Sarah found her stomach sinking slightly.

"That's the thing! She can't! Veritaserum isn't admissible as court evidence, and she'd have to admit to wrongdoing herself!"

Sarah closed her eyes in exasperation, because she could already see holes in the plan. Orion clearly wasn't thinking straight- either he hadn't thought things through, or he was too happy at the thought of Umbridge getting a taste of her own medicine. Possibly both.

"What if she doesn't? What if she just hides the quill and tells the court that we're harming ourselves to hurt her? And even if she doesn't, I'm not sure our reputation can take the damage of performing Dark magic, even lesser Dark magic." She said flatly. Orion deflated, sudden knowledge in his eyes.

"Damn."

"Yeah. We need something different, something sneakier…wait. What about the papers? Her reputation is as vulnerable to tarnish as ours. A nice, scandalous news piece might do the trick…but how do we get it?"

Orion considered, then smiled slowly.

"Doesn't a certain sensational journalist owe you a rather large favour?"

Sarah started to grin herself as she realised what Orion was talking about.

"How corruptible is the editor of the _Daily Prophet,_ do you think?"

Orion had a positively shark like expression now.

"Oh, very. And given that Xenophilius Lovegood owns the _Quibbler_ …"

"I'll talk to Hermione." Sarah said immediately, struggling with her own grin. Time Rita Skeeter paid her back for those Triwizard articles.

"Should I ask what this is?" Sarah asked, looking dubiously at the potion Orion was offering her. Her alternate smiled.

"Ageing potion. Since we've arranged to meet Skeeter, I thought it better that we take this- it'll make us a lot harder to call out on being out in Hogsmeade on a…Wednesday. Of course, being able to change our features is useful, but we can't alter height or weight. This can."

Sarah reluctantly took the beaker, and sniffed at it. It smelled of… lilac, actually. Strange, but not unpleasant. At least the smell matched the colour.

"Should I drink it now?" she asked, curious. Orion considered.

"No. Leave it until we're almost in Hogsmeade- it'll only last about an hour."

Sarah sighed.

"We're going to miss dinner, aren't we?"

"Probably."

Sarah sighed, wincing slightly as she flexed her right hand. She had had her first detention with Umbridge yesterday- the woman had decided to space out the detentions the two of them had earned. Sarah suspected that it was because she only had one of the quills, and wanted to expose them both to it. Bitch. Sarah drifted into sour thoughts as she followed Orion through the corridors towards one of the secret tunnels towards Hogsmeade.

"How are we going to convince Rita?" she asked. Orion didn't look back.

"I've got a plan. We just need to appeal to her baser nature."

A pause.

"Not like that. She thrives on scandals, so we'll give her one."  
Sarah let out a sigh of relief as they reached the end of the tunnel- the trapdoor into Honeydukes.

"So what are we going to look like?" she asked. Orion considered, then let his hair turn to pale blonde and his eyes turn pale green. Sarah shuddered as his skin paled as well.

"You look like Malfoy."  
"That's the point- nobody would associate me with looking like this. You want to do similar or different?"

Sarah concentrated, closing her eyes and letting her features change. She opened her eyes again to see Orion smiling slightly.

"How do I look?" she asked. A mirror handed over, and she smiled. Dark blonde hair, deep blue eyes. Different enough to not look like Orion, but looking nothing like herself as her features narrowed slightly. That was the issue with being a limited Metamorphmagus, she reflected. She could alter plenty, but bone structure was out. Even Orion, with years of experience, could only achieve limited alterations. That was what the potion was for though, she supposed as she unsealed the vial.

"Bottoms up." She mumbled. Orion sighed and grabbed her wrist.

"I'd enlarge your clothes first, Sarah."

"Oh." Sarah muttered, flushing slightly. Orion grinned briefly, pale eyes twinkling.

"We all makes mistakes. I'll wait in the cellar- take my potion there."

Sarah sighed lightly as Orion left. That was close, she thought gloomily as she enlarged her robes- they were plain black, without the Hogwarts badge on. Not knowing what to expect, she downed the potion.

The sensation she felt was a tingling, almost an itching, she thought. It was quite unpleasant, but not nearly as bad as Skele-gro or Polyjuice potion. Probably because she wasn't changing too much from how she was. When the sensation ceased she stretched carefully, feeling off balance in a taller form. She was glad that she had enlarged her clothes at least. She checked herself in the mirror and grinned. Perfect- although it made her sad that she'd have to wait a few years to get here again. She slipped through the trapdoor to see Orion leaning against a wall, looking more at ease than she was with the taller form. Admittedly not that much taller, but a few inches told.

"How do you feel?" Orion asked. Sarah kept her grin.

"Even more fabulous than usual." She replied. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Come on, we've got a reporter to talk to."

Rita Skeeter was looking decidedly worse for wear, Sarah thought as she sat opposite the woman in a table at the side of the Three Broomsticks. Rita's nail polish was chipped, her eyes harder than before and her lips drawn in a thin line. Then again, Hermione had basically deprived Rita of her ability to work, and there didn't seem to be a form of dole in the wizarding community. For a moment Sarah suspected she should feel sorry for Rita, but somehow she couldn't find the emotion.

"Hello, Skeeter." Orion said, sitting easily next to Sarah. He was wearing gloves like usual, and hiding his limp with a numbing charm that let him walk more or less like normal. Sarah knew it would hurt him later, and it made her appreciate the lengths he went to even more.

"Who are you?" Skeeter demanded. Orion smiled gently.

"Names are not important, Miss Skeeter. What is important is that I am the representative of Sarah Potter."

There was a pause as Madam Rosmerta came to ask their drink orders- Sarah let Orion order, concentrating instead on Rita. Particularly, the wariness mixed with hope in her eyes.

"So, what do you want?" Skeeter asked once Rosmerta had walked away. Orion kept smiling, tapping his chin.

"I'd say this is more about what _you_ want, Miss Skeeter."

Skeeter glared.

"What can you offer me?" she asked eventually, and Sarah knew that Orion had her. Orion himself gained a predatory edge to his smile.

"Oh, say…an exclusive interview with Sarah Potter on the Triwizard final task? After you build your credit back up of course."

Sarah kept her expression blank, despite the urge to hit Orion. He could have at least warned her, damnit! Didn't matter. She was trusting him. She watched with interest as a range of emotions crossed Skeeter's face. She idly wondered if she could get the woman into a poker game sometime.

"Build up my credit?" Skeeter asked suspiciously. Orion leaned back, still smiling.

"Mm. Miss Skeeter, I'm sure you're aware that you thrive upon controversy and scandal. It's your lifeblood. It's what your articles are full of. Well, if what I have been told is correct, there are some rather dubious things going on in the detentions given by Dolores Umbridge. Wouldn't that be an interesting thing to write about?"

Skeeter was utterly mercenary, Sarah saw. Last year she might have assumed that Skeeter would refuse, but now she saw that the only motivation Skeeter had was money and her own whim. The thought of stirring up a scandal around Umbridge and the Ministry visibly appealed to her, though she made a visible effort to appear uninterested.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked. Orion chuckled.

"Come now, Miss Skeeter. Do you really have anything else to do? And I know about your little secret, so I know you can get into the classroom unnoticed."

Skeeter gazed at him thoughtfully, taking a slow sip of her drink.

"Aren't you the little negotiator? If I do this, where am I going to get published?"

"I know some things about the editor of the Prophet. You don't have to worry about that." Orion said confidently. Skeeter raised an eyebrow.

"I won't ask. However…does this clear my debt with Potter, or will I be called in like a dog again?"  
Orion actually laughed at that, a low chuckle.

"Clear your debt? Don't count on it, Skeeter. You're benefitting from this as well as Potter. Besides, you surely don't expect that information to ever become worthless. However…Miss Potter assures me that she has no interest in ruining your life and reputation."

"So long as I work for her. And she controls her friends? Hmm. Maybe the Prophet was right in some ways. Potter has become a lot harder since meeting Argent. I suppose I should be glad that she has someone helping her who is willing and able to play the game." Skeeter said, draining her drink and standing.

"I'll get you your article. Make sure you get me Prophet space."  
Orion tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"Goodnight, Miss Skeeter."

He didn't get a response, but he didn't seem to care. The two of them headed back to Honeydukes, using the Invisibility Cloak to slip back to the tunnel.

"Well, that went well." Orion commented. Sarah glanced at him, and saw that his expression didn't quite match his words as his features changed to what she realised was his original look- black unruly hair and bright green eyes. She changed her own look again, raising an eyebrow at him and getting a nod to confirm that she was normal again.

"You don't sound like you think that." She noted. Orion looked slightly unhappy.

"I don't like manipulating people like that. It makes me feel too much like Voldemort…or Dumbledore."

The last was mumbled as they started walking, and Sarah gave him a sharp glance.

"What does Dumbledore have to do with it?" she asked. Orion kept walking, pretending to be innocent.

"Nothing. I didn't mention Dumbledore." He lied. Sarah stopped walking and glared at him.

"Orion. Don't lie to me."

Orion stopped walking, and sighed.

"You aren't going to let this go, are you?"

At her unflinching gaze he slumped slightly and leaned against a wall of the tunnel.

"Clearly not. I just…Dumbledore is no longer quite the idol I once thought he was."

Sarah narrowed her eyes, thinking. She had her own issues with the Headmaster, not least that he didn't seem to do very much to help her and he was far too concerned with keeping secretes that might well be important to her survival, but Orion's stance and eyes told of something deeper.

"Tell me." She said. Orion nodded slowly.

"I suppose that a lot of it comes from the Prophecy. The one that says I had to be the one to vanquish Voldemort. 'Vanquish'. We both know what that means with the Dark Lord, don't we?"

Sarah nodded silently.

"Kill." She said flatly.

"Yeah. I always wondered how Dumbledore managed to reconcile his 'Thou shalt not kill' policy with leaving a half trained sixteen year old to kill one of the mightiest Dark Lords of recent memory. But besides that…Dumbledore has done a lot of things that really don't fit with the persona he puts on. For instance…when he died he was killed by Snape. I spent the next year hating Snape with a passion, and I only found out that it was a mercy kill at Dumbledore's insistence from memories Snape gave me when he was dying. How much would it have taken for Dumbledore to just tell me some things?"

"Is that why you didn't want to go to Dumbledore after Umbridge gave us detention?" Sarah asked. Orion shrugged.

"I…mostly. I know he isn't the same Dumbledore, but every time I look at him I'm reminded of all that my Headmaster did that I despise. It's…from a logical viewpoint, I can see why he did some things, but some I just don't understand. Keeping me in the dark about the Prophecy. Letting Umbridge in- I mean, surely he could have found a Defence teacher? In my Sixth Year he was able to get Horace Slughorn to return from retirement to teach Potions and have Snape on Defence, so why didn't he do that this year? No, instead he bows to the Ministry. He doesn't trust himself so much he wouldn't even use his influence to protect me, you or himself from the media."

Sarah listened patiently to the rant from Orion, and she couldn't help but agree. The Headmaster had a lot of power and influence even after losing several of his seats, why hadn't he used it? Why hadn't he used it to keep his seat on the Wizengamot, for instance? It was nonsensical. There was a time and place to be the better man and this was not it. Not with Voldemort lurking in the shadows.

"Why did Snape agree to kill Dumbledore?" she asked. Orion closed his eyes tiredly.

"Ah, Snape. I pitied him after seeing his memories." He started, oddly. The green eyes opened again and fixed onto Sarah.

"Don't misunderstand, I don't like Snape. He's cruel, petty, childish and malicious, and nobody forced him to join the Death Eaters- if I had any children, I wouldn't be naming any after him. But that doesn't stop him from being brave and dedicated, and he certainly has reasons for his grievances. He deserved better than to have his love for Lily and his guilt over her death to be used against him by Dumbledore. Everybody deserves better than to be used like that."  
"Careful, Orion. You're starting to sound like the Boy-Who-Lived again." Came the slightly misty voice of Theia. Orion and Sarah turned to see her walking down the tunnel with a smile. Slowly she walked up to Orion and gently touched his cheek.

"Ah…takes me back, seeing you this old."

"You really know how to make me feel loved." He deadpanned, and Theia gave a musical laugh. Sarah smiled.

"You know, you two never told me how you got together." She mentioned. Orion glanced at her, and raised a brow. She shrugged, and Theia broke in.

"Well, it all started when I was the only person Orion had left to ask to a Christmas party." She said. Sarah turned a disbelieving gaze on Orion, who looked guilty and a little ashamed.

"She's not wrong." He said softly. Theia continued.

"This was during his Sixth Year, of course, so he had that stalkerish obsession with Draco Malfoy, thinking he was up to nefarious deeds."  
"Was he not?" Orion protested mildly. Theia ignored him.

"During the course of the party, Draco gate-crashed and was promptly dragged out by Professor Snape. Orion was all set to follow them, and of course I would have let him go."

Here Orion took up the tale.

"But I looked at Theia as I was about to leave, and I could see the sadness she didn't quite hide in her eyes. I couldn't leave like that, so I stayed. And I told myself I wouldn't let myself be the cause of that sadness again."

A brief, sad pause.

"I failed at that."

Theia tilted Orion's head down and briefly kissed his cheek.

"You try. That matters more to me than anything else."


	15. Chapter 15

**As always, I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **This one was a nightmare. It's fought me every step of the way, but it's finally done. My apologies for the wait, and I hope that you enjoy.**

* * *

One morning next week, Sarah sat next to Orion and waited for the Daily Prophet to arrive. Her alternate glanced at her, a faint smile tracing his mouth.

"If you keep fidgeting, someone's going to catch on that somethings up." He drawled, sipping from a cup of tea. Sarah gave him a vindictive squint, and he shuddered and leaned away dramatically. Sarah punched his arm.

"Ah! No! However can I compete with such elegant wit?" Orion continued sardonically. Sarah shook her head at him and devoted her attention to toast and jam, ignoring his snicker. She forced herself not to immediately snatch the _Daily Prophet_ when the owl carrying it landed next to Hermione, instead trying to finish her breakfast. Well, she tried for roughly ten seconds, until Hermione squeaked in shock. Immediately Sarah whipped the paper from her friend and looked at the headline with silent amazement.

" ** _Hogwarts High Inquisitor: Taking her title too literally?"_** she read aloud, a smirk starting to form. Oh, this would be _good_.

" _For some time, falling standards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have been alarming parents throughout the country. The lamentable condition of Defence Against the Dark Arts, barely alleviated by the strong showing made by Hogwarts in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, drove the Ministry to assign a teacher who we were assured would be more than capable of restoring the school to its former glory. But were we wrong?_

 _Dolores Jane Umbridge. A name, perhaps, unfamiliar to most readers before her appointment to Hogwarts. As Under-Secretary to the Minister, it could be assumed that she is intelligent. Ambitious. Skilled. And yet, it could be expected that she is fair, and impartial, ready to hear out anyone."_

Sarah paused long enough to choke a laugh. Much as she appreciated the way Rita was building Umbridge up before dropping her down, anyone with the slightest experience with politicians would be sceptical.

" _Unfortunately, it would appear that Professor Umbridge does not live up to these expectations. While she was able to secure an Acceptable grade in her Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL, and she follows a course that, while largely theoretical, is accepted by Ministry experts, her impartiality is gravely in question following her treatment of Sarah Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived."_

'She-Who-Could-Not-Be-Slayed.' Sarah mentally corrected, before continuing to read.

" _During her most recent Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, both Sarah Potter and Arcturus Argent- self-proclaimed son of Sirius Black- were given detentions, both deserved in the opinion of this reporter. The detentions were described as writing lines: a common punishment, and reasonable. However, this reporter has discovered a sinister extra: both Potter and Argent were apparently made to use a quill that wrote the lines in their own blood. Yes, dear readers, you are not misreading. The lines were in their own blood, drawn by what is surely a Dark Artifact, if not on the Ministry Prohibited Items list. We at the Daily Prophet would like to protest this treatment, and call for an investigation into the punishments at Hogwarts School. Even should Professor Umbridge be the victim of falsehoods given in good faith to this reporter, the fact remains that, not four years ago, several students- First Years, no less!- were taken into the Forbidden Forest to hunt for a creature that was attacking and killing Unicorns. The neglect does not end there…"_

Sarah stopped reading as Rita began to go over the unusual and sometimes dangerous punishments sometimes handed over at Hogwarts, and looked up at Orion.

"Well that was interesting-"

"POTTER!"

Well, it was nice while it lasted. Sarah pasted a careful look of innocent inquiry on her face, and looked up.

"Yes, Professor Umbridge?"

Sarah supposed that Umbridge was attempting to loom over her, but the effect was somewhat spoiled by how short the High Inquisitor was. Although, in all fairness, the look of rage currently distorting Umbridge's face might have been intimidating to someone who hadn't had multiple near-death experiences in the past four years.

"What is _this,_ Potter?" Umbridge demanded, thrusting a copy of the paper at Sarah. Sarah fought the urge to smirk, and decided to stick with innocence.

"The _Daily Prophet,_ isn't it?" she said levelly. She was fully aware that anybody who actually knew her would realise that she was acting dull on purpose, but given that she was trying to enrage Umbridge, she'd let that pass. If the expression Umbridge now wore was any indicator, it was working rather well.

"You know what I mean, Potter! These…these… _lies…_ "

Sarah saw the panic lurking beneath the rage in Umbridge's eyes, and felt a cold pulse of satisfaction. It was hardly fitting for a supposed heroine to enjoy this, she knew, but she was only human. Besides, the longer she could delay Umbridge the better. She had noticed that the other teachers could be somewhat slow to react, and duelling Umbridge in the middle of the Great Hall would end…badly. While Orion could probably break her out of prison, she'd prefer he not _have_ to. It would just be messy.

"Well, Professor, if they're lies I couldn't have had any part in them. After all, _I must not tell lies."_ She said, letting just a bit of the sardonic drawl Orion usually practiced into her tone. To her delight, Umbridge actually twitched a little bit. The Professor was starting to draw stares, and Sarah noticed that Theia had vanished from the Ravenclaw table. She probably had some scheme going with Orion.

"Potter-" Umbridge began, leaning forward and looking like she was on the edge of her temper. Sarah curled her fingers around the grip of her wand, tensing herself, but they were, fortunately, interrupted.

"Professor Umbridge."

Sarah had only heard that cold tone once or twice before, but she knew she would always recognise it. There was something so fundamentally…wrong…about it that the sound would always stay with her. Evidently Umbridge thought so too, because she paled and stammered as she responded.

"Headmaster Dumbledore?"

The elderly Headmaster had a slight, grandfatherly smile on his face, but Sarah recognised it as fake, lacking the warmth that his placid expression usually contained.

"May I ask why you are currently shouting at one of my students? I don't suppose it has anything to do with this article in the _Daily Prophet?_ Rather intriguing, I must say. Rita has certainly returned to her strengths." He said, fixing his pale blue eyes on Umbridge. The Professor twitched slightly.

"This…slander- Headmaster-"

Sarah mentally commented that Umbridge was not good at being under pressure. Strange, considering that being able to smooth-talk your way out of situations seemed to be a key ability of politicians. Dumbledore remained unmoved, still smiling gently.

"Do not worry, Professor. I have already asked Minerva to contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I am sure that once they determine that the article is false they will help you find whoever is slandering you."

Sarah fought the urge to laugh, burying it deep inside for later. The sick look of panic Umbridge was barely concealing was almost too hilarious to her. Orion, she noticed, had turned away slightly to conceal his own expression of amusement. Dumbledore, of course, remained as he always did, just slightly amused. Maybe she should try adopting that? The Headmaster glanced at Sarah.

"Miss Potter, Mr Argent, I would like you to stay until the Department of Magical Law Enforcement representative arrives. I am sure they would like to talk to you." he said. Sarah shifted slightly, but nodded. She hadn't had time to talk with Orion about the possibility of being interviewed by the Aurors or whoever was sent, but she could guess what he'd say: tell them what Umbridge had done, not admit to telling Rita- actually, suggest that she hadn't talked to Rita- and make sure Dumbledore was in the room with her. After all, she was still a minor.

It was surreal to wait in the Great Hall while the rest of the school finished and left, many of them shooting her small group curious looks. Sarah ignored them in favour of looking at Umbridge with interest. It was amazing how many subtle changes fear wrought on the woman's face. And, once again, Sarah reminded herself that enjoying the fear of others was not heroic, and she shouldn't be doing it. On the other hand, what people didn't know wouldn't turn them against her, so she was free to bask in the worryingly warm glow of satisfaction.

"Perhaps we should adjourn to my office?" Dumbledore asked, breaking her out of a happy daydream of Umbridge being thrown into Azkaban. Caught off-guard, Sarah didn't react until Orion gave her a poke. She glared at him, causing him to smirk slightly as they followed Dumbledore and Umbridge through the castle. The Headmasters office seemed somehow cramped with them all in there, even though there was ample space. Maybe it was the tension. Umbridge, clearly nervous. Orion, tapping his fingers in a fast pattern. Dumbledore, wearing a considering expression far more unnerving than his usual slight smile. And herself, of course. Sarah wondered what her expression was like. All in all, in was a relief when Professor McGonagall walked into the room, followed by three Aurors. A severe looking, grey haired woman, a red haired man and Kingsley Shacklebolt. The woman must be Amelia Bones, Sarah decided, but she had no idea who the third Auror was.

"Ah, Amelia. I wondered if you would come yourself." Dumbledore said pleasantly. The woman narrowed her eyes, and Sarah noted that she wore a monocle. An unusual affectation, she thought in a detached manner.

"Yes. Minister Fudge was quite insistent that the root of these accusations against Professor Umbridge be found." The Head Auror replied. Sarah made a conscious decision not to react, forcing herself to act normal, which in itself was probably quite suspicious. Oh God, she was doublethinking. She forced herself to calm down, telling herself that that was _not_ amusement in the gaze of Dumbledore and Amelia Bones.

"Hmm. No doubt. I assume you would like to speak to Miss Potter and Mr Argent?" Dumbledore said. Amelia tilted her head slightly.

"I would, yes. Would it be possible to use this office?"

"If I can remain. After all, they are my students." Dumbledore responded. Amelia nodded, indicating that she found that acceptable.

"Very well then, Amelia. Who would you like to talk to first?"

"I'd prefer to talk to Mr Argent first, Albus, and then Miss Potter." Madam Bones replied. Dumbledore shot them a brief glance, and Sarah nodded, knowing Orion was doing the same.

"Very well. If your Aurors and the Professors might wait outside…"

Sarah obediently stood and left, catching the wink Orion shot her on her way. She smiled slightly, noticing that Madam Bones had quietly asked something else of Dumbledore and wondering what it was. It didn't matter, she decided. She stood quietly, McGonagall doing the same while Umbridge shifted nervously and gave Sarah glares that the redhead pretended not to notice. The Aurors had vanished somewhere, but she didn't ask. After a number of minutes of boredom, the office door opened and Orion slowly walked out.

"You're up next, Sarah." He said quietly, before dropping his voice to barely more than a whisper.

"Be honest, but don't volunteer anything. I don't think they want to ask too much, but don't give them the option."

Sarah gave him a tiny nod, walking past and into the office. She was immediately struck by the thought that, intended or not, it was quite intimidating to see Dumbledore and Madam Bones facing her from across the desk. Fortunately, Sarah had quite a lot of experience in staring down authority figures, and so she took a seat opposite the older pair without batting an eyelid. It also didn't hurt that Dumbledore had an encouraging glint in his eyes, and Madam Bones looked carefully neutral.

"So, Miss Potter," Madam Bones said, quite quietly. "I'll be honest with you. Mr Argent has already told us about your evening last week, and that you did not meet with Rita Skeeter. His alibi was, to be frank, admirably crafted, and I'm not inclined to dissect your stories to find inconsistencies."

Sarah resisted the urge to smile. She and Orion _had_ crafted an alibi, a purported evening of magical practice, but it looked like they wouldn't need it, and Sarah could read the meaning behind what Madam Bones had said- Bones didn't care if they had leaked the story. She cared if it was _true._

"So, what I want to know is whether what Rita wrote was right. If Umbridge really has been…overstepping…her boundaries."

Sarah slowly brought her hands together, unconsciously rubbing at her left hand. It had scarred, but only very briefly, and it had faded now. She'd just have to tell them.

"Yes. Me and Orion did our detentions separately, but we had to write with a quill that didn't need any ink. It cut open my hand and used the blood as ink, but the cut healed immediately. My hand was only red by the end of the night."

Sarah wondered how Orion's handwriting had looked, since he would have been forced to use his off-hand to write. After all, his silver hand would have no blood to draw on if he had written with his right hand. Then again, he had more or less been forced to become ambidextrous, so he had probably been fine.

Amelia Bones looked thoughtful.

"Well, that certainly matches the story Mr Argent gave and Skeeter published. However, I will need more evidence than your word, as I'm sure you can appreciate."

Sarah nodded silently to indicate that she understood. Really, she hadn't expected anything like this to occur. She had just been hoping to damage Umbridge's reputation so that if something else about the woman came up the public would be readier to believe the worst. In hindsight, it was obvious that the Ministry would do something about a teacher potentially torturing students. Even if said students probably qualified as subversives in the eyes of the Minister of Magic.

"Very well, Miss Potter. If you will wait outside, I'll hear Professor Umbridge's side of this." Amelia Bones said, not unkindly, and Dumbledore rose to usher her out. When Sarah walked out she found Orion leaning against a wall, studiedly ignoring Umbridge and the glare she was pointing at him,

"Dolores. Amelia would like to talk to you." Dumbledore said, his kindly tone laced with just a hint of steel. Umbridge gave Sarah an ugly, triumphant look.

"Soon you'll be seen as the nasty little liar you are." She sneered as she walked past. Sarah ignored her, walking over to Orion. She wasn't about to rise to something so blatant, no matter how stupid and irritating it was.

"That didn't take long." She said quietly. Orion hummed an acknowledgement, lowering his voice to barely more than a whisper.

"I suspect that Madam Bones is just stalling for time. She sent those Aurors somewhere, and I daresay that finding the actual quill would be rather damning evidence." He murmured. Sarah thought it over and nodded slowly.

"Sneaky."

"Quite."

Comforted by the thought that maybe they had a supporter in Madam Bones, Sarah leaned against the wall next to Orion, who seemed to be deep in thought. He was so busy thinking, in fact, that he barely reacted when the door to the office opened again five minutes later and Dumbledore, Bones and Umbridge walked out. Umbridge looked a little less certain than before, Sarah noticed.

"Ah. Kingsley, Williamson. Excellent timing." Madam Bones commented, and Sarah turned around to see the two Aurors walking the last few steps of the corridor to them.

"I live to please, Ma'am." The redhead, Williamson, replied. He had a slow drawl and a calm tone, and Sarah wondered if gaining it was part of Auror training, since Kingsley had the same manner of speech. Then again, Tonks was hyperactive and Mad-Eye was insane, so maybe not. A cool insane maybe, but still. The man needed therapy. Sarah managed to get her thoughts back on track in time to see Williamson hand Madam Bones something with a quiet mumble of words, and Kingsley shift in a manner that suggested that he was covering the exit.

"Ah." Madam Bones said quietly, holding up a very recognisable quill pen. Sarah felt a shiver run up her spine, and Umbridge went a sickly white.

"Well, Dolores. If this was found in your office, I'd say you have some questions to answer." Madam Bones said, her voice quiet and steely. Umbridge replied after only a second, but her discomfort was obvious in her pale face.

"The brat must have planted it in my office! She's trying to discredit me, Amelia!" Umbridge gasped out. Madam Bones raised an eyebrow. At least, that was what Sarah assumed she was going for: what she actually did was a single eye frown, squinching the brow around her monocle. Sarah supposed that actually raising her eyebrow would cause the monocle to fall. Although why Madam Bones couldn't simply raise the other eyebrow-

Once again, Sarah forced her wandering thoughts back into focus. Now was not a time to get distracted, especially as Madam Bones was speaking.

"Well, Dolores, there is a simple way to test the truth of that." The Head of Magical Law Enforcement noted. In a brisk motion Madam Bones pulled out a wand and swept it in a pattern unfamiliar to Sarah, who watched with interest. The pattern ended with a prod at the quill, which glowed a lime green. Sarah looked around, and had to forcibly repress a squeak of surprise as she saw that she was also glowing, as were Orion and Umbridge.

"Well," Madam Bones commented quietly, "It would seem that you have at least touched this quill. And considering that Kingsley and Williamson found it in your office, and assure me that it has the effect Rita claimed, I believe that we will need to have a rather longer talk. At the Ministry."

Umbridge opened her mouth, but seemed to realise that it was hopeless. Either that or she simply lacked the will to defy Madam Bones- Sarah wasn't entirely sure which. Or it could have been a mix of both- Sarah wasn't sure _she_ could have mustered the will to defy the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at that moment. Hopefully only Umbridge would be taken to the Ministry. Sarah didn't really fancy the idea of a more intense questioning session than the one she had already gone through, though really she wasn't certain that being asked a single question by Madam Bones counted as a questioning session. It had been quite calm and relaxed, actually, and Sarah was grateful for it. Madam Bones turned her gaze to Sarah, and a chill raced up her spine.

"I do not believe that I will need to speak further to Mr Argent or Miss Potter," Bones said, turning her gaze to Dumbledore, "But I assume that you will allow me to speak to them if I require?"

Dumbledore nodded, and Madam Bones nodded sharply.

"Very well. Dolores, let us return to the Ministry." She said calmly, and Umbridge reluctantly followed the Head of the Department of Magical Law, the two Aurors picking up the rear as the group walked towards the Headmaster's office. Sarah let out a slow breath, and let herself relax. As a result, she flinched sharply when she looked across and saw the sharp gaze that Dumbledore was directing upon her. Sarah hastily tried to salvage the situation, looking back and attempting a smile.

"Ah…that was unexpected, sir." She said. From the corner of her eye she saw Orion drop his head into his left hand, and mentally cursed. Fortunately, Dumbledore smiled.

"It was indeed, Miss Potter. You performed admirably, however." He replied. Sarah felt her heart rate slow from a panicked race to merely alarmingly quick, and broke eye contact with her Headmaster.

"Well, Miss Potter, Mr Argent, I believe you have classes to attend?" the old man prompted, and Orion grabbed her and pulled her away, leaving a smiling Dumbledore and a mildly disapproving McGonagall behind.

"That was far more traumatic than I expected." Orion noted happily as he dragged Sarah along. Sarah made a slight whining noise of protest, but decided not to resist.

"Do you think we'll have gotten rid of her for good?" she asked. Orion slowed slightly and let her go as they reached a good distance from Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"I…don't think so, no. Unfortunately, she has too many friends in high places. But that isn't really the point. Regardless of whether she comes back or not, we'll have planted some seeds of doubt, and she won't have nearly as much free-reign. Plus, it'll damage the image of Fudge and the Ministry, so we might have a less effective smear campaign against us." He eventually said. Sarah nodded quietly, her mind turning to something else.

"Orion…did you ever visit my parent's grave?" she asked. Orion actually stumbled as he missed a step slightly, his already uneven stride worsening.

"I…did, yeah." He said, glancing around them. Fortunately, lessons had already started, and the halls were deserted. Orion sighed, drawing his wand and casting a spell that Sarah recognised as _Muffliato_ before continuing.

"It didn't go very well. I was on the run, went there to see the graves. It was just me and Hermione, but Voldemort had staked the place out with his pet snake. I got jumped when I wandered off and got my arm broken in the fight. Why ask?"

Sarah glanced down at her feet, a little hesitant.

"I wanted to know…I want to visit the grave. And from what you said, if I wait I may never get the chance." She said quietly. Orion gazed at her, his expression serious.

"You aren't wrong, I suppose. I've no doubt that even if we are allowed to go we'll need an Order escort, but asking the Headmaster can't help."

"We?" Sarah questioned. Orion gave her a slight smile, edged with a sort of sadness.

"Yes, we. I'm hardly going to let you go alone." He said gently.

Sarah dreamed. In some way she understood that the dream was not hers, not really: in all honesty, even to her sleep-fogged mind the definitely gothic surroundings and the presence of a deferential Lucius Malfoy were a warning, but she somehow found herself unable to wake. Perhaps it was some sick fascination, or maybe some fear that dragging herself into wakefulness would have repercussions, but she let herself remain. Watching. Listening.

"Lucius."

The voice that should have been hers was soft, sibilant: a quiet, menacing whisper. That cemented her realisation. Either the Hogwarts House Elves had served something hallucinogenic at dinner, or she was seeing from Voldemort's eyes in her dream. Sarah wasn't actually sure which one was worse.

"My Lord?" asked the blond Death Eater. His voice was smooth, silken, with a deferential edge. Sarah wondered how he managed it, to suppress the monstrous pride she had always seen in the Malfoy family. Then again, Voldemort was terrifying. Few arrogances could stay strong before the aura of power and malice the Dark Lord exhibited.

"Fetch Wormtail for me, Lucius. I have a task to carry out, and I will require his services."

Sarah wondered if Lucius Malfoy felt any spite over being used as a mere messenger, his pride wounded by the disregard Voldemort showed towards him. If he did, he hid it well as he backed from the room. Sarah's vision, restricted to what Voldemort saw, abruptly tilted down, showing her long, pale fingers, slowly caressing a wand of pale wood. Fortunately- or unfortunately, perhaps, given that this would be an excellent opportunity to gather information- Sarah couldn't feel Voldemort's emotions, a sign that her Occlumency training hadn't been entirely useless. At least, that was what she thought. Her vision tilted up again, showing a plump, balding man walking nervously into the room.

"My Lord?" Wormtail asked timidly. Sarah's view tilted slightly as Voldemort stood.

"Follow me, Wormtail." He ordered, striding from the large room. The throne room, Sarah decided. Personally she felt that it was a bit stupid to call Wormtail to the throne room and then go somewhere else rather than telling Wormtail to meet at the destination, but she supposed that was why Voldemort was a Dark Lord and she wasn't. It was the little things, after all. Eventually Voldemort and Wormtail came to a large room that seemed to be equipped as a Potions laboratory, with many filled flasks and a large cauldron in the centre. Voldemort strode over to the flasks and picked two up: they were filled with a murky, glutinous looking potion. From experience, Sarah could see that it was Polyjuice.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I have brought you here, Wormtail?"

Voldemort spoke in a quiet voice that might have been reasonable, had it not been for the tone of underlying condescension and cold spite. In particular, the name Wormtail had a malicious bite to it. Wormtail replied quietly, with a bare hint of stutter.

"No, My Lord. I am at your service, whatever you require."

Voldemort laughed, high pitched and cruel. Wormtail cringed noticeably, and Sarah, astonishingly, felt pity. What had Voldemort done to Pettigrew to elicit such a reaction?

"At my service. Ah, Wormtail, such a loyal little rodent. Feel honoured, Wormtail. I have need of you, to free my greatest servants."

Pettigrew had gone a sick, terrified white, and Sarah could empathise. Voldemort's greatest servants also happened to be his cruellest, and Pettigrew did not seem popular among his fellows. On the other hand, Pettigrew _was_ a traitor and a coward, so Sarah didn't feel that sorry for him. Voldemort thrust a flask of Polyjuice towards Pettigrew, the liquid inside now a deep burgundy- he must have added a hair without Sarah noticing, though she wasn't entirely sure how that worked given that she was seeing what he saw.

"Do not drink yet, Wormtail. Azkaban will be first." Voldemort commanded, and Pettigrew slowly lowered the flask. Carefully, the Death Eater removed a cork from a shelf and sealed the flask before tucking it into his robes under the gaze of his Master. As soon as the flask was stowed Voldemort gripped Pettigrew by the arm and the world vanished in the twisting whirl of Apparition. Upon landing Pettigrew lurched away, retching, and Voldemort laughed softly, amused at the discomfort of his follower.

"Drink once you are able, Wormtail. We have little time." He said. Wormtail turned a look on him, but there was just a hint of hatred in the frightened gaze. Sarah could feel the satisfaction Voldemort took in that powerless rage, and it disgusted her. For a moment she hoped that Pettigrew would find the courage he must have possessed to be placed in Gryffindor, courage to defy his Lord, but the moment faded quickly and Pettigrew hunched back into himself and raised the flask to his mouth, a broken shell of a man.

Voldemort watched, amusement lacing him at the pathetic sight, before taking out his own flask of Polyjuice and downing the dark blue liquid inside. Sarah could feel his disgust at the ploy he had to carry out, but she could see his reasoning. He had personal power, but only that. Until his loyal army was ready once more, stealth and cunning must serve where might would fail. Sarah could not see who Voldemort had turned into, but Pettigrew was recognisable: plump and short, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Voldemort laughed again- the voice of the person he now wore was deeper and richer than the high, sibilant hiss that was Voldemort's normal voice, but that somehow made the malice in it more threatening.

"Do not think too highly of yourself, Wormtail. I merely require more freedom than… _that…_ can afford. I assume you know of Auror Williamson?"

"The usual bodyguard to the Minister of Magic." Wormtail whispered, his timidity somehow not appearing unusual on the normally blustering Fudge. It was a little bizarre, however. Sarah felt Voldemort smile.

"Indeed. And who would ever think to delay the Minister and his loyal guard entry? Do you know where we are, Wormtail?"

Condescending. That was the only word Sarah could use for the tone Voldemort was taking, although she was surprised that he was talking so much. Maybe it was because he was talking to Pettigrew.

"The…the Auror evidence store. Kept separate from the Ministry. Five Auror guards." Wormtail said quietly, his voice shaking only a little. Sarah wondered how he knew.

"Yes." Voldemort said softly, elongating the word into a hiss that sounded _wrong_ in the voice of Auror Williamson. The Dark Lord gestured to Wormtail.

"Lead on." He murmured. Sarah now found herself caught in a dilemma. Did she tear herself away from this, wake up, and hope that she could relay information to Dumbledore in time for it to have an effect? Or did she hold her nerve, wait and see if she could find more useful information? Insidiously, her logic took over, and she chose the second option with a feeling of self-disgust beginning in herself. Voldemort followed the Fudge appearing Wormtail – Fudgetail? - towards a building that, at least to Sarah, looked a lot like a derelict police station. How very…well, either appropriate or stereotypical. Both, maybe. The pair walked up to the boarded up door, and Wormtail leaned against it and murmured something too faint for Sarah to hear. A password? Whatever the case, the door swung open and the Dark Lord and the Death Eater walked in. There were two Aurors inside: a thickset, balding man seated behind a reception desk and a wiry blond leaning against the wall.

"Minister?" the balding man said, hastily standing. "I did not expect to see you here-"

" _Imperio."_

The word was said very quietly, but with a firmness to it, and the blond man slumped slightly before straightening. The balding Auror didn't appear to have noticed anything, caught up in speaking to Wormtail and hearing the replies, and he didn't pay any attention when the blond slowly raised a wand in a trembling hand.

" _Avada Kedavra."_ The blond Auror whispered, his voice shaking as he vainly fought against the Imperius. A streak of green, and the balding man crumpled like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"Wormtail. Remain here. If any of the other Aurors should approach, kill them. Do not fail me." Voldemort ordered, striding into the station with the blond Auror as a guide. Sarah wanted to close her eyes, but she was trapped into seeing what Voldemort saw. The Dark Lord strode purposefully through the corridors, following the blond Auror. Twice they came across another Auror, and each time the Polyjuice disguise allowed Voldemort to get close until he could cast his spell. Another flicker of green, another body left in the wake of the Dark Lord. Sarah forced down the urge to vomit, to sob and scream, because now she needed to watch. All her self-recrimination could wait. Finally, they came to a large door. It was remarkably old fashioned: wood and steel, barring the way. Voldemort simply waited as the blond Auror fumbled with a set of keys and snapped open the door. The room within was dark, and Voldemort didn't enter, but the Auror walked in and returned several minutes later with several wands, bundled together and tied with string. He handed them to Voldemort, and Sarah realised that the man had sealed his own death warrant. Another flash of green light, and the man fell dead. Voldemort laughed to himself, high and cold, and turned away without a second glance at the man he had killed. Voldemort strode from the evidence room, the stolen wands tucked inside his room, and moved swiftly through the hallways. He turned a corner and stopped suddenly as he came face to face with a man that Sarah vaguely recognised.

"Ah, Auror Dawlish" Voldemort practically purred. The man lurched backwards, clutching for his wand as he stared at what must have been a nightmarish mirror, and Voldemort lazily raised his yew wand.

" _Imperio."_

The spell was spoken quietly, but with an absolute aura of command. Dawlish wobbled, his face reddening and his eyes flickering open and shut, and Sarah realised that he must be fighting it. Voldemort leaned forwards.

"Fascinating. But insufficient." He murmured, looking more closely at the strain Dawlish showed.

Something in Sarah gave, and she knew that she had to wake up, to tell Dumbledore what Voldemort was doing. Had done. She strained to force herself awake, to drag herself away from the nightmare that was really happening, and nothing happened. If she could have screamed she would have. She had never really paid any attention to the fact that she barely existed like this, that she was just a passenger behind Voldemort's eyes, but it hit her hard. Sarah felt herself start to panic, the helplessness washing over her in a silent wave for an instant before it was swamped by a blazing rage. Always Voldemort. Always, he took away her chance to live as she wanted. To be free of the creeping, crawling fear that she would lose everyone she cared about. Always, she bore the weight of his enmity on her shoulders, and she was tired of it. Fury washed over her and she welcomed it, submerged herself in it, used it to fuel her struggle, and she could _feel_ herself tearing free. Voldemort staggered slightly, his vision wobbling, and she felt a vicious satisfaction run through her. She hoped it hurt, but from the way the vision stabilised she suspected it was a false hope. Blackness twisted across her vision, and she could feel her mind returning to herself.

Sarah snapped awake as she crashed to the floor. A grunt was driven from her by the impact of falling out of bed, but she paid it no mind as she scrambled to her feet. Fortunately, it seemed that she hadn't woken the others in her dormitory- not that she really expected to have, they were all heavy sleepers. Well, maybe not Hermione. Speaking of whom…

"Sarah?" Hermione whispered, concern in her voice. Sarah glanced at her friend as she hastily dressed.

"Hermione. I…I saw something. Voldemort. I have to speak to Dumbledore." She said. Hermione hesitated for only a moment.

"I'll come with you." She said firmly. Sarah blinked.

"You don't have-"

"I wasn't asking." Hermione replied firmly. Sarah nodded sharply.

"I'll meet you in the Common Room." She said softly, hurrying through the door and snagging the communication mirror and her Invisibility Cloak on her way.

"Orion. Orion!" she hissed into the mirror, but there was no response. Sarah bit her lip, thinking. It was night. Deep night, and Orion would almost certainly be asleep. Evidently he wasn't going to wake easily, and raising her voice loudly enough to be certain would awaken more than him. Sarah shook her head silently. It didn't matter, she decided. She could report this to Dumbledore on her own…assuming that the Headmaster was still awake himself. Sarah cursed inwardly. Still, she could only try. As soon as Hermione came down the stairs Sarah stepped close to her and threw the Cloak over them both.

"This makes me nostalgic." Sarah mumbled as they hurried down a corridor.

"Oh?" Hermione mumbled. Sarah nodded.

"First Year 'till Third. Our little group adventures, saving the school without a second thought."

Sarah paused to smile, a little ruefully.

"Those were good times. Before everything got so serious."

Hermione laughed, very quietly.

"I'd say that they were still serious, Sarah. Voldemort. Quirrel. The Basilisk, werewolves and Dementors."

"Basilisks and werewolves and Dementors, oh my." Sarah mumbled automatically. She sighed.

"I guess you're right. But it seems less serious, looking back. Sure, it was scary and dangerous, but it didn't have…the world seemed a lot brighter back then, is what I'm saying."

Sarah could almost feel the sympathetic gaze her friend was giving her.

"You sound so old, you know that? Things will get better, Sarah. Voldemort won't be around for ever." Hermione said, and Sarah nodded slowly. That was true, she supposed, but sometimes the effort of it all seemed a lot to bear. Nevertheless, she continued on. It was, she had realised, one of her key traits as a person: she kept going. No matter what, she would never stop. If she was to be halted, death would be required, and Orion could reinforce her point. Willing to die he might have been, but at the end of a long road when his principles had been shattered and cast aside, and there was no foe left for him to cast down. Sarah smiled tightly, letting the warmth of that realisation wash over her. Voldemort would fall eventually, fall before her. She knew it in her bones.

Dumbledore, as it turned out, was not awake at such a late time of night, but he woke quickly, opening his office door while clad in what Sarah assumed to be a night robe- pink with bright yellow pineapples- and fluffy slippers. Sarah approved- if you were going to be garish then go the full way. As soon as Sarah began explaining he ushered the two of them into the room and listened carefully to what Sarah had seen.

"Troubling. Very troubling." The Headmaster said, his long fingers steepled before him and his eyes missing most of their customary sparkle.

"It is, perhaps, not so surprising that you would still be drawn into Voldemort's mind, given what Orion and Theia have theorised about your…connection. But to find it difficult to escape again? Curious, and not something seen in Legilimency. However, your particular case is unusual, to say the least."

Sarah nodded silently, waiting. Dumbledore sighed deeply.

"I shall investigate what Voldemort has been doing, Miss Potter, but I fear that the Ministry will not be cooperative. I suspect he is preparing to free some of his more devoted followers from Azkaban, if what you saw is correct, and I shall endeavour to prevent that from happening, whenever he decides to make his move."

The old man looked up, and offered her a gentle smile.

"You may have saved many lives by your actions tonight, Sarah, especially if we can prevent Azkaban from being breached."

Sarah flushed slightly.

"It's nothing special, I just-"

"Demonstrated the strength to drag yourself free of Voldemort once more, Sarah, overcoming a will that, even if not focused upon you, is singularly formidable. Do not mistake the value of what you have told me." The Headmaster said. He smiled again, his eyes twinkling once more.

"I am sure you will be glad to know that I have managed to arrange a visit to Godric's Hollow for you and Orion. Next weekend, as it happens, and I have arranged Remus Lupin to be your escort. Now, I think it is best that you return to your bed: I have much to do if I am to act of what you have told me."

"Um…yes. Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore." Sarah and Hermione chorused, before hurrying off, back to the Gryffindor Tower.

Sarah had not expected Godric's Hollow to be so…quaint. Orion seemed oddly quiet as he looked around the streets, before he eventually spoke.

"Hmm. The village seems much less menacing when you aren't being pursued by Death Eaters." He commented, walking alongside Lupin towards the graveyard in the town.

"I can imagine." Sarah said softly. She was, herself, in a subdued mood- it was, perhaps, to be expected when she was walking towards the graves of her parents. Orion gently touched her arm, and gave her a slight smile that she returned whole-heartedly. Yes, it hurt a little, but she was not bereft of family. Lupin was quiet as well, contemplative almost, and Sarah wondered if he had visited before. It was not long before they passed through the town and into the graveyard, ignoring the ruined house that Sarah had spent the first months of her life in and which was now a monument to her parents. That could wait until later.

"There." Orion said quietly. He pointed with his hand, and Sarah followed the indicator to a single headstone. White marble, seeming to shine even in the watery sunlight, and she told herself that the moisture in her eyes was from the gleam of it. The inscription was quite simple.

 _James Potter, born 27 March 1960, died 31 October 1981_

 _Lily Potter, born 30 January 1960, died 31 October 1981_

 _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death._

Sarah crouched before the headstone, her fingers slowly tracing the words of the inscription. Very slowly she leaned her head forwards, her hair hiding her now watering eyes as she rested her forehead against the cold stone. Orion rested his hand on her shoulder- it had to be him, there was a weight to his silver hand that normal limbs lacked.

"Just like I remembered." Orion said quietly, his voice rough somehow, as though it was a strain to get the words out. Sarah was unsure how long she crouched there, letting her tears fall and soak onto the ground while Orion stood protectively at her back, but eventually she ran out of sorrow and stood slowly. She was about to speak to Orion when a horrible, cackling voice sounded from behind her.

"Well well well, two Mudbloods and a werewolf traitor. The dark Lord will be pleased with this catch!"

Very slowly, Sarah turned and saw three people, all in ragged robes and with unhealthy, gaunt faces. Even so decayed, though, she recognised the woman and two men. Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband and his brother. Bellatrix and the other two leered at her, and Sarah felt a mixture of rage and fear boil inside her, even as Orion spoke very, very quietly.

"The Lestranges. Ah, _Hell_."


End file.
